Legends of Love Part 1: Finding Love
by BlueberryMuffins76
Summary: Join a Ranger on a mission & an orphaned girl as they are swept into a wave war. Dunlendings flood the land of Rohan, the Riders are defeated, & the Rohirrim are forced into their strongholds. But how can love come from deception, hope come from doom, & death affect a person's life? Find out in Part 1 of the Legends of Love series. An anonymously co-written story. Please R & R!
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I do not own any Tolkien characters or places! **_

**Note: My coauthor wishes to remain anonymous, as much as I don't like it, &amp; I shall respect their wishes. However, I am greatly indebted to all their hard work, especially in the portrayal of our leading man.  
**

_I know this chapter is really short! The subsequent chapters will be longer! I would appreciate your reviews. _

**Finding Love**

Aragorn stopped his horse and prepared to camp for the night. After a warm meal he sat by his fire and opened his saddle pack, drawing forth a bundle of papers bound together into a book. He opened the first loose piece of paper, a sort of letter, and read:

I Gilraen, daughter of Dirhael and Ivorwen, wife of Arathorn II, to you, Aragorn my son. It has been many a long year since you came to me, a young heart filled with pride, as you had just learned your true heritage, and love, for you had beheld Arwen Udomiel, Lady of Rivendell. Truly, I thought you had only been infatuated by her grace, but as the years passed and your love increased, I saw that I had been mistaken. You already know that your relationship with the Evenstar is difficult, for Lord Elrond will only give her to the King of Gondor. Thus, I have prepared for you the stories of you predecessors from my line, and their love stories. Each will show one of the many difficulties of your love and solve them, or perhaps leave you wondering.  
The first of these many tales is about finding love, no matter where, no matter who. It is the tale of your great-great-grandfather, Cadoc, the Old Tongued, and your great-great-grandmother, Quirna, Golden Flower of the South. But their story did not start with flowers, kisses, and courtship, but war, deception, and love through the darkness. Without further ado I will leave you to read this tale.

Interested, he unfolded the letter and took the first page of the story.

**_Author's Note: I have just updated chapter 2 &amp; it should be a T rating now instead of M. Again, I entreat, implore, and beg of you to read and review!_**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Note: This chapter has been toned down significantly and should be a T rating now. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know!**_

**Finn?**

_The acrid smell of smoke filled the air. Quirna shot bolt upright in her bed, sniffing the danger. Jumping from her cot and grabbing a blanket, she ran to her parents' bed, calling, "Mother! Father! The house is on fire and we must get out at once!"_

_Locating the bed, stumbling a bit in the dark, she made out the shadowy form of her mother. "I'm here, child. Your father won't wake up, as usual." Her voice was strangely calm for someone in the midst of a disaster. "Sweetheart, you go on out &amp; I'll follow as soon as I can get your father up."_

"_I love you, Mother! Please hurry!" With that Quirna obeyed, expecting her parents to follow momentarily. She ran out the door to the safety of her yard, although loath to leave her parents inside. However, she knew she needed to obey in order to keep herself safe. Unfortunately, the only water source was a river too far away to be able to put out the flames; by the time she filled one bucket and dumped it on the fire and returned for the next, the house would likely be only a small pile of ashes. Instead, Quirna was forced to watch the only home she ever knew burn to the ground. _

_After a few minutes, her worry intensified when she noticed neither of her parents had come out of the abode yet. She ran to the front door but it held enough heat that she had to stand several feet away. Calling to her parents, she ran to the back door and found the same scenario there. Completely devastated but still vaguely aware of her surroundings, she noticed the thatched roof of the barn also caught some flames and would soon burn too. She went inside and set free the few animals they owned – a pig, cow, horse, and one sheep. Then, utterly exhausted, Quirna sat in the grass &amp; stared blankly at the devastation. Once she got over her shock, the sobs came and wracked her entire body. She blamed herself for not forcing her mother to join her; this was a burden she would carry for the next few years._

"No!" Quirna cried, awaking with a small scream. It was the same nightmare she'd experienced practically every night these past two years. She looked around at her small cabin, which she shared with three teenage boys, who were all fast asleep in their bunks and undisturbed by her nightmare. Settling down into her own bunk, she reflected on her life's tragic events. At 20 years old, her life had undergone an interesting turn since her parents died in the house fire when she was 18. No one had wanted to take in the poor, homeless young woman with no family and nothing to her name except the clothes on her back. Nobody would marry her either, due to the fact that her father held the reputation of being a bit lazy, and they expected the daughter to be likewise. Thus she wandered around South Gondor, or Harondor as the natives called it, for several weeks.

One day, she was near the Bay of Belfalas when she happened upon a group of corsairs. She had always preferred men's britches to dresses, but her mother insisted that although they were poor and lived in the middle of nowhere, they needed to look and act like ladies; luckily for her, she was allowed to wear pants for sleeping. Her nightclothes were the only garments she had left, which looked like clothes her non-existent older brother had outgrown. Extremely grimy and smelly from not being able to properly bathe, the men mistook her for a young boy. She figured she was safer that way among the pirates anyway. She also kept her hair trimmed short, hoping it would yield a more masculine appearance.

Spotting the campfire in their midst, Quirna had cautiously approached the warm flames. "Mind if I warm myself?" she inquired timidly.

"Arg, me hearties! Look at the young lad! Naught but skin and bones!" the captain shared a good laugh with his men. However two of the pirates scooted aside to provide a place for her to squeeze next to the fire. Captain Jagwind asked of his new companion, "What brings you to these parts, young sir?"

Sensing the danger yet excited about the prospect of meeting real live corsairs, Quirna explained her tragedy.

Upon some consideration, the leader inquired, "Well, iffen ye have nowhere else to go, I'd be happy to take ye on as a cabin boy. What d'ye say, matey?"

"I accept, kind sir!" And so Quirna began her career as a corsair, since it seemed the best and only option at the time. Her new mates guessed she was twelve and she let them think that. As she spent two years with them, they taught her to defend herself with both a cutlass and throwing knives. They knew her as Finn, a name she invented once she met them in order to protect her identity; a shark's fin was one of the first things she noticed besides the pirates.

As she learned the thieving and plundering ways of the corsairs, the new recruit ended up adopting a young kitten found on the shores one day. A scrawny orange tabby, the male cat was christened Starfish and became Finn's constant companion. The corsairs allowed him because they needed cats to keep down the rat population and one more wasn't a big deal. Their new recruit could barely contain her excitement.

However, she held little thrill about the prospect of pillaging and plundering innocent people who were likely as poor as her family. On the other hand, she realized she had no other way to survive and felt obliged to follow the pirates in their thieving ways. Quirna had always hated the thought of killing creatures for food, even though she did enjoy the meat they provided. Her father tried to treat her as if she was a boy, and she liked that in some ways because it gave her more freedom and she was able to do many things a girl did not normally participate in. Yet she hated that men were supposed to be tough and insensitive, thus her mother helped her keep and enhance her gentle demeanor. With the corsairs she had to push this part of her personality aside in order to hold her own among them. While she did not like that in the slightest, she knew it was important to blend in with them and appear to like their ways, even if she would never truly be a pirate at heart. She secretly longed to leave her new companions and marry so she could have her own home, but she saw no way to make that possible. However, an opportunity to escape presented itself in a most unusual way

The evening after her flashback nightmare, Captain Jagwind called Quirna to his quarters. "Finn, ye've been the best cabin boy I've had in ten years! I think you are ready and the best choice for a special task. What d'ye say?" He questioned and commended her, a kindly and almost fatherly look in his eyes.

"Well, sir, I should like to hear what you want me to do, although it does sound rather intriguing!" She was surprised the captain wished her to complete a secret mission for him.

"Arg, Rohan is me enemy an' has been for a long time. Ye're the only one of me crew that could pass as a member of the accursed Rohirrim, since none of us have yer golden locks, so I'd like ye to go into their midst as a spy. Rumor has it that the Dunlendings have attacked their nasty country, and I want you to go into their midst and find out their weaknesses, how we can best infiltrate their kingdom and take over."

Quirna pondered his request a few moments before answering. "I would like to undertake that task, Captain! When do I leave?"

"Aha! I knew ye'd do it! That's the spirit, laddie! How about you leave at first light? I shall provide you enough coinage to buy a horse. Although I could likely send our ship up the River, I don't want to risk damaging me vessel or warning anyone of me approach until we are ready to attack, perhaps even meet up with the Dunlendings. Once ye've been gone several weeks, I'll send someone to check with you and send a report back to me so I can plan our attack."

"Aye, aye, sir!"

"One more thing: yer new name shall be Éothain so ye'll seem one with the bloody Rohirrim. Got it?" The captain stopped her before she left.

"Aye, aye, sir! Sounds good!" Quirna was excited about going on this quest but also rather nervous. The captain dismissed her and she went to her chambers to prepare for her adventure.

"Hey, Finn, whatever are ye doin'?" one of her roommates asked. All four young people got along splendidly and became fast friends, so seeing her pack up seemed rather unusual.

"Captain Jagwind asked me to go on a special mission for him. I am to leave at dawn tomorrow. I will miss all three of you!" Quirna was sad to leave her new friends but knew getting away from the corsairs would do her good; she noticed she had become rather uncouth, especially during the past year. However, she truly would miss the rough life of a pirate in a strange sort of way.

"Ye're leaving us? Arg, we'll miss ye too, matey. I 'opes your journey goes well!"

"Thank you! I hope it will! Do you mind taking care of Starfish for me? He loves the three of you about as much as he does me. I hate that he can't come with me."

"Sure! We all love your kitten and will care for him until your return."

"Thank you!" Thus she continued packing her bags.

The next morning, Quirna left the ship at dawn as planned. The ship anchored at the mouth of the River Isen and she had been instructed to follow the river until reaching the Fords of Isen, where she could cross and continue the journey to the Hornburg. While there were no cities on the way, the captain thought many farmers built alongside the water and she could probably buy a horse from one of them. Thus as she traveled, she kept watch for any sign of life.

Two days into Quirna's journey, she finally spotted a small abode in the distance. She hesitantly approached and found an older man working in the yard.

"Greetings!" she called, not wishing to frighten him. She had been given new clothes in order to blend in with the Rohirrim better and so that people would not suspect she was a pirate.

"Good day, young sir!" the friendly farmer replied. "What brings you to these parts?"

Since she could not tell the whole truth, she voted for giving the least amount of information. "I am traveling to Rohan to join with the Rohirrim."

"Without your family? You look too young to be traveling alone."

"Yes, sir. My family is all deceased and I need some way to support myself. Do you have a horse I could buy from you to make my journey easier?" She tried to stick as much to the truth as possible without revealing anything and hoped she succeeded.

"I do have an extra horse you could have." He named a price and took her to see him, and she immediately fell in love. The stallion was solid coal black, friendly yet spirited. Quirna paid the farmer and he insisted she come in and eat a meal, so she accepted. Afterwards, she hated to leave the friendly farmer and his wife but knew she needed to be on her way. They made sure she had enough provisions and even provided all the accessories she needed for her new pet.

A couple of hours later, she found herself on horseback traveling along the Isen River. She loved how he felt as though he was one with her as they galloped, trotted, and walked. She decided to call him Silky, because his coat felt slick and soft like silk and his gait was so smooth.

Many days later, Quirna drew close to the Fords of Isen, where she would cross the waters and make her way towards the Hornburg to start her assignment. However, the trip would soon take an interesting turn when she met a stranger at her crossing.

**Author's note: Please leave me a review if you want more to this story! I will put more up eventually but I would like at least one review first. Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's note: Please leave a review! My coauthor and I would appreciate it! I never did get any reviews on the first two chapters.  
_

**2: Ranger?**

A fire burned steadily, its red, orange, and yellow tongues dancing in the night air. The moon and stars shone palely in the night occasionally blotted out by a slow-moving cloud. The grass rustled as some unknown night creature crept through it hunting for food. None of this escaped the watchful Ranger lounging by the fire, smoke curling from a pipe held in one of his gloved hands. His hood was pulled over his head so that his face was undistinguishable though sometimes when the fire flashed one could see two shining eyes, a long nose, and a grim-set mouth. Past conversations replayed in his mind, ones between his mentor and himself.

"What is your assignment Cadoc?" an old man asked.

"Rohan. The Dunlendings are rising and it is said that Gondor cannot come to the aid of the Rohirrim because they are attacked by corsairs." The Ranger answered.

"Will you be going under a different name?"

"Yes, Eolred."

"Ah, it means "old council," it is fitting. Don't let an old man keep you waiting; you had best get on with your journey."

A shadowy horse nickered startling Cadoc out of the memory.

"What is it, Silver?" he asked. "Is there something out there? Probably a thief," he muttered the latter to himself.  
He stood up, his hand hovering over his sword hilt, and scanned the still area, unlit by the small fire. In the distance, the river Isen gurgled and bubbled as it frolicked over rocks but no other sound reached his ears.

"Keep watch, Silver, while I sleep," he yawned.  
Night passed into early dawn, heavy fog hung around the Gap of Rohan. Mist added to the dismal day, and a cold wind whistled through the grasses. Cadoc ate a cold breakfast then pulled his damp hood over his face and vaulted onto Silver's back. The sun rose, only to be blotted out by the low-hanging clouds, and Cadoc rode on. Soon the river Isen rushed into view. Without much trouble, the Ranger and his horse forded the laughing river. Silver whinnied a warning to his master that another rider was approaching. Cadoc could hear the faint clop, clop of horses' hooves. Vaguely, through the mist, he spotted a rider, not very tall but thin and gangly.

"Hallo there," he called placing a hand on his sword, "who passes?"

"My name is Éothain," Quirna replied timidly; not knowing if he was friend or foe, she chose to use her Rohirric name, since she was practically in their territory anyway. She was sure the golden tendrils of her hair, still short, shone in the dark, yet she could barely see this stranger. "Who are you?"

Cadoc stared warily at the stranger, "I am called Eolred. Are you joining King Helm?"

"Yes, that is my plan. I'm an orphan and have nowhere else to go. Is that where you're headed?" The man seemed nice and she had no fear of him, so she risked revealing part of her fate.

Cadoc urged Silver forward until he came nose to nose with the other horse. The rider was a youth, no more than 15 winters there was no reason for fear here. Unless it was a trap. Pushing the thought aside, Cadoc spoke again to the boy.  
"It is strange for one so young to be alone, yet if you are an orphan it is explainable," he said, thinking about the five years he had survived on his own. "Ye,s I am going that way. Perhaps we should make our two journeys one."  
He could see everything about the boy yet he knew that the boy could see nothing of him in the pale light with his hood up and his cloak drawn close. All the boy could see probably was a well-armed figure, perhaps even dangerous, with an air of mystery.

"If you do not mind, I would enjoy the company. Do you know the way? I am not familiar with this part of the country." Relieved that her disguise as a male still held up, she decided to trust this fearsome man, figuring it would be better to have him on her side than him being her enemy.

"You must come from farther down the river," Cadoc remarked, thinking to himself, _He has probably not even left his home_. "Come. The journey is long and time is short."

Then she had another thought; after all, she knew nothing about this man and he could be dangerous. "You are not one of those great orcs, are you? I have never seen or met one before but have always been warned against them, especially if I ever go near Mordor."

Cadoc snorted. This lad hadn't gone far from his home before. "No lad, I am no orc. They do not ride horses and if I were an orc you would have been dead already. Your parents were wise; one must always be careful near Mordor, empty though it be. Which is doubtful." he muttered the latter part to himself.

"Well, that does give me some relief!" she chuckled softly. "Since you are joining the Rohirrim, you can't be one of them yet. And I don't think you are a corsair...I can tell you are a very gifted warrior simply by your stance, which you know I cannot see well in this terrible light. Say, is it safe for us to talk while we travel? If we are going to journey together we might as well know a bit about each other." Quirna's reply was risky, but she wanted to know just who she had befriended as her guide.

"Nay," he said bitterly, "I am not a corsair." He hated corsairs. They had killed his father, leaving his mother to die of grief. Cadoc was surprised: the boy knew nothing of orcs yet knew of warriors and corsairs. Perhaps he had lived near the Sea. "It is fine as long as you hush if trouble arises," he answered.

"That is also good to know!" she almost admitted she was a corsair, but realized he sounded quite upset with these people; who could blame him? After all, they pillaged, plundered, burned, and killed. "So, how far is the Hornburg?"

"Two days ride if it doesn't rain, which it probably will," he answered, turning Silver to the north. "Follow close, Éothain. It will do us no good to be separated in the mist."

"Hhmm, that is closer than I expected! Have you ever been there?" she thought the journey would be several days longer but was thrilled to know it could be as little as two. The prospect of rain, however, was not to her liking. She did not mind rain as long as she could enjoy it from a warm, dry location, preferably with a hot drink, good book, and comfortable chair at hand.

The ride started quietly but Cadoc could sense Éothain's curiosity rising.

"Where are you from, boy?" he asked.

"Um, from all over actually! My parents died a couple years ago and I wandered a bit, then found some people who took me in for a while. Then I decided joining the Rohirrim sounded interesting. How about you? Where are you from?" She tried not to reveal too much about her whereabouts but felt he needed to know at least something about her.

So the boy had traveled before.

"I'm from the North." he answered simply.

Quirna sensed this strange man was as wary of revealing information as herself. She chose to ride in silence for a while longer. Then she realized there could be more dangers she had yet to face, such as wolves. "Eolred, are there any wolves around here? I am not sure my horse, Silky, would know how to react in such a situation."

"Not many wolves come down from the mountains," he said. "Only during hard winters do they come this far."

Hoof beats. In the distance. Riders and many of them.

Nervous at the approach of unknown riders, Quirna quietly leveled her horse with Cadoc's and whispered in his ear, "Did you hear that? Who could it be?"

"The Rohirrim probably," he answered.

Just then a large party of horsemen broke from the fog. A huge man leading the party raised a hand when he saw the two strangers signifying a halt.

"Oh good!" she replied, much relieved yet also a bit nervous at finally getting then chance to be with the people she was supposed to spy on. "Will you take care of the talking for us?"

Cadoc nodded, the big Rider drew closer.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"My name is Eolred," Cadoc answered, "and this is my companion Éothain. Are you King Helm?"

"The name is my own. Show your face stranger."

Cadoc sighed and pushed back his hood, revealing a young face, clean shaven, with dark brown hair, flashing eyes, and a stern look.

"A Ranger," the man said raising an eyebrow.

Quirna was rather shocked at her handsome companion. She had thought him to be at least in his 50's, yet his face appeared not too many years older than herself. Her heart told her being around him would be dangerous because she might fall for such a man. And what on earth was a ranger? The new man seemed surprised at finding whatever it was, and she felt unsure if he meant his comment as a compliment, insult, or if he simply stated a fact. However, from her short time with Eolred she knew he could be trusted and would do her no harm. So she shot a questioning look to her companion to signify her confusion, hoping he would give her insight.

"That is true," Cadoc replied, "we are not uncommon."

"What are you doing here?" the King queried.

"To aid you against the Dunlendings and Corsairs.

"One Ranger and a boy?"

Another Rider urged his horse forward and leaned over to King Helm. "Rangers are very deadly sir. It would do well to let him join us."

_Oh good!_ Quirna thought to herself. _Joining the Rohirrim will be easy! And at least I know they fear the Rangers and have confirmed he's an expert warrior like I suspected._

She looked towards Eolred, hope shining in her eyes.

"We are going to battle now, Ranger," the King said gruffly, "You may join us and prove your worth."

Cadoc nodded, "Where can the boy stay?"

Despite her misgivings about speaking, Quirna butted in. "Please, sir, I would like to join your army. Surely if you do not want me in the fray of battle you could make use of me in some other area?" How was she supposed to find out anything about them if she was not allowed amongst them?

Helm stroked his beard, "I recently lost my armor bearer. Do you think you can replace him?"  
"Children do not belong in battles King Helm," Cadoc objected.

"And who made you my counselor, Eolred?" Helm asked.

"No one sir. But it is dangerous only to our side for him to be in battle."  
"What do you know of weapons?" Helm demanded of the boy.

"I am not just a boy, Eolred! My name is Éothain. While I have never seen the heat of battle, I am glad to say I can use a cutlass with the best of them. I am also trained in throwing knives and pride myself on my deadly aim. King Helm, I will defend you with my life if you will only allow me to serve you!" Quirna, rather indignant at her companion's doubt in her, flew into a rage. She also found herself honestly answering the king. She knew he was the one she should serve and decided then and there to forfeit her alliance with the corsairs to serve King Helm.

Helm nodded, "That is good enough for me. But now is not the time for oaths of fealty. Battle is looming. The accursed Dunlendings are meeting us at the fords of the Isen. Prepare for battle, Ranger and Éothain."


	4. Chapter 4

_**The author would really like more reviews! Please! My coauthor &amp; I are glad to know one person other than Aragorn is reading. However, we would like to know the opinions of anyone who might be reading over his shoulder...**_

_**Author's Note: I love Cadoc. My coauthor is to thank for his part &amp; through him I have a better appreciation of Rangers &amp; now love them, although elves are still my faves :)**_

**3: Meetings &amp; a Battle**

Cadoc frowned but agreed with his silence. He pulled his hood back over his face and strung his long bow, nocking a long, deadly arrow. _It is good that I did not meet that army when I crossed,_ he thought to himself. The Riders rode in silence, an ominous cloud blotted out the remaining light from the sun and only the mist and fog remained. Soon the army of the Dunlendings appeared on the opposite side of the Fords. Big men with crude weapons, fashioned out of farm tools most likely, but deadly. Then there came a war cry and a contingent of corsairs appeared beside the Dunlendings. King Helm recoiled in surprise but shouted urging his horse forward.

"Forth Eorlingas!"

Quirna bit back a scream. This was a real battle that was happening right now! Would she remember everything she'd learned from the corsairs? Were Dunlendings cruel like pirates? Thankfully she had little time to process these questions as the Rohirrim leaped into the fray. It took her a few minutes to get the hang of using her cutlass from horseback but once she figured out the trick to it became an expert at her task. She tried to stay close to King Helm; although it was rather difficult, she managed to stay a few feet away from him at all times.  
From time to time a war cry leapt from her throat, unbidden yet within the spirit of the fight.

_Zip Zip Zip_

The arrows found their way into the hearts of Corsair and Dundlender alike. This was not his first battle. He had learned to close his ears to the dreadful cries of the enemy focusing on what lay before him. Quickly he drew his sword before the two armies met. There was a loud crashing and clanging and war cries rose in the air. Cadoc's sword swung, flashing and clean but soon stained with red blood. The Dunlendings had grown smarter, they were trying to pull the Riders off their horses or even kill the horses to even the battlefield. There was something strange about a patch of dead Dunlendings. Their swords lay at their sides and they appeared dead. Just then an eord happened to cross over the "dead" Dunlendings. All of a sudden they rose, knives slicing the horses then killing their riders. The battle was not going well.

Meanwhile, Quirna faced her first corsair, a former friend of hers.  
"Finn, is that you?" he asked.  
"Yes," she replied hesitantly.  
"Quickly, tell me what you have learned about the Rohirrim!"  
"I have only just met them! I cannot tell you anything! Now please leave before I have to kill you; they cannot think that I am not a part of them." Quirna hid her new allegiance from the corsair yet could not bring herself to kill anyone with whom she had lodged for so long. Thankfully for her, he turned away into the fray, which she noticed seemed to be overruled by the corsairs and Dunlendings, not the Rohirrim. What would happen if her side lost? She looked towards King Helm, relieved he seemed to busy fighting to notice her interaction with the corsair.  
She then spotted Cadoc, sword in hand and a fearsome look on his face. Her heart leaped within her; his handsome features highlighted by his determination, he was a sight to behold. Yet before she had time to think things through, a Dunlending came upon her.

Cadoc fought desperately with a rather skilled Dunlender. Their swords crashed and clanged. Without realizing it he had forgotten the battle around him and had focused on his opponent, _it was a shame_, he thought as his slid his blade down skillfully stabbing the Dunlender. A corsair, riding a runaway horse, suddenly leapt at him pushing Cadoc off of Silver. They rolled on the ground struggling, Cadoc managed to push him off. They circled each other, the pirate leering holding a cutlass, _a cutlass…_ Their swords locked, Cadoc knocking him backwards with a well-aimed jab. The pirate retaliated by slamming his round shield into Cadoc's unprotected side. Gasping for breath Cadoc swung wildly with his sword catching it in the pirate's shield, where it stuck. The two grew close again, the pirate grinning with victory. _You may have killed my father_ Cadoc spat _but not me!_ He drove a hidden knife into the pirate's side, surprise and death filling the corsair's face. Drawing his sword from the shield, Cadoc whistled for Silver.

The large man knocked Quirna off Silky, and she fell to the ground with a crash. As the Dunlending approached, she yielded her cutlass and yelled, "Away from me, ye fiend!" However, he continued until he stood over her. As he was about to strike, she lunged upward, at the same time plunging her cutlass through his throat. Blood squirted all over her as the body pressed her to the ground. She fought for breath, then gathered enough strength to push the Dunlending off her. Silky stood nearby, loyal to his new master, so she jumped back on his back just in time to witness Cadoc slaughtering the first mate from her ship!

Hours passed, yet the enemy grew while their army diminished. Helm's horn blew calling the men to retreat. The enemy cheered but did not give chase, plundering the dead instead. The tired horses carried their masters out of the fray and into the retreat.  
"To the Hornburg!" cried King Helm.  
Cadoc pulled his hood back up and joined the damaged army.

Quirna, relieved to finally be able to get some rest, tagged along after King Helm. Silky, a champion racer, eagerly kept up with the retreating troupes. His master, rather tired, breathed a sigh of relief as she noticed they were not followed. Then she realized she had actually killed for the first time, several times, in fact. "What have I done?" she thought to herself, horrified. Sensing her distress, the horse slowed down, and the ex-corsair lowered her head against his silky soft body and softly sobbed.

Cadoc noticed Éothain falling behind and soft sobs could be heard. The boy had never seen a battle much less participated in one. Dead faces still haunted him. Falling back, he came level with Éothain.  
"Are you alright, lad?" he asked gruffly.

Quirna turned a dirty, tear-streaked face towards him. "I just killed!" she moaned. "I've never killed a human before, only animals for food. Isn't there some other way to make peace between us? And we lost so many this day, men that I will now never know!" She was rather touched by his concern and hoped this meant they might eventually be friends.

"There is no reasoning with Dunlendings or Corsairs that seek plunder, land, and revenge."  
He patted Éothain on the back, "Dead faces still haunt me. But come now. When we get to the Hornburg I want to test your skill with the blade."

Smiling through her tears, Quirna replied, "I shall look forward to that, Eolred. Thank you."

With that, Cadoc turned away, rather embarrassed for some reason. "Come, we have at least three-days' ride ahead of us. Off to the Hornburg!" he charged away on Silver, and the young lady quickly followed suit. She had no idea it would take so long to get to her post but was rather anxious to see what it was like. Hopefully there were more of the Rohirrim awaiting them and the fortress would be secure enough to keep them from the attack she knew would quickly come.

The Rohirrim and their two extra travelers made good time in reaching their destination. King Helm dictated that they alternate between walking and trotting their horses, knowing the corsairs and Dunlendings would take a few days to recoup but after than would be hot on their trail. However, their equine companions were already exhausted and returning on foot would be asking for trouble.

The company made good time and arrived unstopped at the Hornburg three days after their retreat. Quirna looked up in awe at the amazing fortress. Built onto the side of the mountains, the Hornburg was made of large rocks and had high rock walls all around and only one entrance that she could see. It looked invincible and she slowed Silky to a walk, gazing at the lovely structure, unaware she would likely be the last "man" inside.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Please leave a review! Surely Aragorn isn't the only one reading this...In other words, I am desperate to know what you think! Would you like to see more of this story? **_

**4\. Sharing**

The Hornburg was packed, women, children, cattle stuffed into the courtyard. Éothain entered last gawking at the strength of the fortress Cadoc noted. Two busy days passed. The Dunlendings had arrived but contented themselves with besieging the fortress and not trying to storm the imposing walls. "How about crossing swords to day?" he asked.

Quirna had noticed Eolred tended to refer to her as either "boy" or "lad" and became rather indignant at this; she desired to hear her name roll off his lips, even if he used simply one of her aliases. Additionally, these terms made her feel even smaller and weaker than she already knew she was. However, her thrill at the prospect of showing off her skills overwhelmed her irritation with him.

A huge grin radiated from Quirna's face as she replied, straightening to her full height of 5'2", yet the man still towered a full foot above her. "That sounds like a plan, but only under the stipulation that if I win, you will quit calling me 'boy' or 'lad' and use my name, Éothain." She added cheekily, "And be careful with your chosen location; I do not wish any innocent bystanders to be injured when I disarm you!"

Cadoc smiled; the boy had spunk. "Agreed. But if I win you must tell me _everything_." A slight warning in his tone. "I picked the armory since it is empty."  
The two walked to the armory. Fortunately no one had followed them. Éothain drew his cutlass and Cadoc his ranger sword. They circled then came together. When the swords met, Cadoc sent an unheard message, _This isn't a game._

A determined look on her face, Quirna felt both exhilarated and frightened. She knew Eolred was an expert swordsman and likely had years more experience than she had. What if she lost? Hopefully her small size could be used to her advantage. Eolred's silent warning was met with a look that said, _I know, and I will win!_  
The beautiful sound of metal clashing against metal filled the air as the pair sparred. Quirna held her own against the large man, expertly deflecting his blade at each turn. It was odd fighting against someone a foot taller than herself since the corsairs had been mostly under six feet, but she soon got the hang of how to dodge him.

_Clash Clang _

The swords sung as they met, parted, then met again, parry, thrust, slice, cut repeat. Cadoc knew he would have to test Éothain but he kept putting it off. But it would have to be done sooner or later, and better too early than late. Carefully he slid his blade down that of Eothain's, only a corsair would know how to deflect it and finish the fight.

Quirna felt the change in their sparring and knew exactly how to reply. The corsairs had taught her how to disarm an opponent who moved in such a way, and now it was her only choice if she wanted to win this fight. She moved her cutlass exactly how she was taught, thrusting all her strength into the move. The sword flew from Eolred's grasp, and Quirna grinned with excitement from her victory. "Looks like you have to start calling me Éothain now! You really are a tough opponent, though."

Sparring with such a man did strange things inside her heart, but she pushed those notions aside as she awaited his reply.

Just as he had thought, but dread was pushed away and anger replaced. A corsair! A spy! He watched Éothain sheath his sword in victory. Suddenly, he stepped forward, grabbed Éothain by his leather jerkin, and slammed him into the wall.  
"Where did you learn that last move?! Don't play games with me, Éothain!"

Extremely frightened, Quirna trembled beneath Eolred's strong grasp. "Please, Eolred, release me. I promise I am not a spy. When I pledged my undying allegiance to King Helm, I truly meant it. Whatever my past may be, I am loyal to Rohan now and will be until my dying day. Please, trust me and do not make me tell you just yet. Eventually I will share my past with you, but not yet. You have to trust me first."

His grasp tightened, his dark eyes burning.

"I said nothing about spies. Are you corsair?! How much do they know?!"

The young lady knew her life was in grave danger at this moment; Eolred would not kill her, but she did expect a hearing with King Helm and perhaps a conviction when they found out her former motive for joining the Rohirrim. "Eolred, please release me. Fine," she started, now growing more angry than scared, "I admit that I am responsible for my parents' deaths. Yes, I lived with the corsairs for a time." Here she gave him a hard stare, silently daring him to interrupt her. "I tried to find a home with someone in the wake of my parents' deaths, but no one would take me in. Then I saw the corsairs on the beach and warmed myself by their fire. They invited me to stay with them as a cabin boy, and I hastily agreed because I had nowhere else to go. Yes, they sent me here as a spy. However, I can assure you they know absolutely no more than they did beforehand. I met one of my former friends in battle and explained I had only just met the Rohirrim, so I knew nothing. There, are you satisfied now?" Eyes blazing with passion, she looked at Eolred, dreading his response.

With a pang of memory, his own mother dying…he couldn't save her. He pushed it back and released Éothain from his iron grip.

"Your eyes speak truth," he breathed. "I will speak nothing of it. While we are sharing pasts I'll tell you that I used to be a thief."  
He felt compassion for her.

Tears now shone in Quirna's eyes. "Thank you for believing me, Eolred. I suppose being a former corsair is worse than a thief! I do not think I have ever stolen anything; I never took part in the raids because I have always known that lifestyle is wrong, yet I could see no other way." She felt more open now that she had revealed part of her secret. And Eolred had actually shared something about himself with her! Perhaps their friendship could progress now; she greatly desired to know this man better, feeling their pasts were similar.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Advisory Note: I am rating this chapter M just in case; it deals with some touchy subject matter, and has some blood, but should be mostly T rating.**_

_**And please, I honestly appreciate reviews! I did notice someone favorited this story; thank you!**_

**5\. A Foolhardy Mission**

Back in her chambers that night, Quirna reflected on the day's events. For some reason, seeing the fury in Eolred's eyes change to care and compassion made her feel special. _He's so handsome, so stoic!_ she thought to herself. Then a revelation came to her: _I am falling in love with Eolred! What am I thinking? Things can never work out between us because he thinks I am a boy, and it's too dangerous for me to tell anyone just yet. Can I be satisfied with only friendship? When he grabbed me today, he was close enough to kiss!_ She physically slapped herself. _Stop it! You know that kind of relationship was never meant to be, so forget about it._

Quirna's dreams that night were plagued with visions of Eolred in the fire that took her parents' lives. She awoke several times, his name on her lips as she tried to find him in the fire. The cold sweat she broke into, as well as the fear in her heart, made her sleep quite fitfully. Although her longings for him were strong, she knew she had to stay strong and resist them.

A few weeks after their arrival, Cadoc prepared to embark on a long journey and decided to tell his friend Éothain goodbye, not knowing if and when he would return. He knocked on the door before dawn but received no answer, so after rapping once more he tried the knob. The door opened with ease and he stepped inside, taking a moment to allow his eyes to adjust to the darkness. He spotted Éothain's prostrate form, quietly sleeping on his side. Then, he noticed his body was curved where a man's is straight, and there were some linen strips lying on the floor beside his bed. The truth suddenly dawned on him: Éothain is a woman! Angry yet curious, he approached the lad and gently shook his, or should he say _her_, shoulder. "Éothain! It's Eolred. Wake up!"

The young woman, slightly dazed, slowly sat up and yawned delicately. Then, as she became more fully awake, she hugged the blankets to her chest. "Eolred? What are you doing here?" she inquired nervously.

"I wanted to say goodbye before I left. However, there are some matters with you to which I must attend before leaving on my trip." The man tried to be gentle, but his curiosity grew.

"Yes?" she faltered.

"Are you a woman, Éothain?" he asked gruffly.

Letting out a mournful sigh, tears silently falling, Quirna realized it was time to reveal the whole truth or her identity. "Yes, Eolred, I am a woman. I had to let the corsairs, and now the Rohirrim, believe that because I had to protect myself. I'm so sorry; I should have told you sooner, but I felt being a boy would be better, safer for me. I'm actually 20, and that's why no one would take me in, not even for a wife!" Her tear-streaked face looked into his, wondering what he'd do about this revelation.

Shaking his head in amazement he sat down, "You fooled me," he said, unable to find the right words. "And it's not Eolred. Most of my people call me Cadoc, the Old Tongued. Don't worry about your safety with the Rohirrim; they are a good people. Helm will understand; you just might leave out the corsair part. Speaking of which," he said, "I am to leave soon, Helm's son, Hama, is leading a sortie and I have been chosen to go. But," he added, "I have some minutes to spare, how about we talk?"

"Yes, I did. I am so sorry! I would love to talk. Do you mind if I change my clothes first? It is rather embarrassing for you to see me like this, now that you know I'm a woman." She blushed attractively, hoping the darkness hid it. "It won't take long, or if you really don't have time I can just keep this blanket wrapped around me."

"Umm, yes," he replied awkwardly.  
He stepped out and walked to a nearby fire and lit his pipe. Smoking Old Toby was soothing. _A girl_ he thought. _How is h…she responsible for …her parent's death?_ Their conversation after the duel replayed in his mind.

Quirna donned her dress, the same one she wore as herself. For the past few weeks she had wandered about the Hornburg as a woman, taking on her Rohirric persona only when necessary. In fact, she had seen the Ranger several times but hurried away before he could recognize her. She stepped out of her room, coming up to Eolred – no, Cadoc – and laying her hand on his shoulder. "I'm Quirna, which means 'humor'," she began.

He turned around, Éothain…no…Quirna now. It was different seeing hi…her in a dress and despite her short hair she was rather pretty.

"Cadoc," he smiled, taking the pipe out of his mouth. "Let's see now…I'm well…not an ordinary Ranger. My people are the Dúnedain."

"I'm not familiar with them. They sound special!" she returned his grin, finally getting to hear about this mysterious man.

"Well," he said, trying to explain his race. "We tend to wander, our chieftain is a direct descendant of Isildur, we all…well live longer than most men."

"Really? That's amazing!"

"But what about you?" Cadoc asked. "Where do you hail from?"

"I grew up in South Gondor, along the Harnen River. That's why I found the corsairs so quickly after I was orphaned; their hideout was not too far from my home," she replied sadly, fondly recalling her parents.

"Orphaned. There is our similarity."

"Really? But it is your fault your parents died?" She suspected they might have something like this in common.

"I couldn't save them. My father died in battle with…my mother died of grief. That's when I became a thief."

Tears once again shone in Quirna's eyes as she recounted the tragic event that took her parents' lives. "I am so sorry, Cadoc! At least your parents did not die at your hands. I could have saved my parents! I have no idea how it happened, but there was a house fire. My father…Let's just say he was not the hardest worker but always slept like a rock. Nothing could wake him up. I noticed the fire first and went to warn my parents. Mother told me to go on out, that she would wake Father up. So I ran outside. After waiting a few minutes, I tried to check on them but couldn't get inside the house. The river was too far away to get water for the fire, thus I was forced to watch as my house and parents were consumed with fire. I should have insisted Mother come with me; I could have saved her! Why did I listen?" She looked down, weeping softly.

"It sounds like you couldn't, not wouldn't, save them." Cadoc tried to reassure.  
Hama's horn resounded in the mountains.  
"I must go." he said quietly.

The tears fell harder. "I will miss you, Cadoc," she sniffed, then threw her arms around him and snuggled against him.

Cadoc returned the hug awkwardly, then with a smile and goodbye pulled his hood up and joined King Helm. Silver snorted with pleasure as they rode out the gates. The Dunlenders were taken by surprise but that soon changed as they rode farther into the camp.  
"Retreat!" bellowed Hama.  
They were out of the camp the Dunlendings hot on their trail. Suddenly something hit Cadoc hard on the back of his head. Dazed, he toppled backwards, his vison clearing enough after his fall to see a giant Dunlending. Groggily he drew his sword barely avoiding the Dunlending's spear thrusts. The giant rammed his shield into Cadoc's ribcage sending him flying against a pile of rocks. He watched helplessly as the spear descended. He cried out when the spear dug into his side then ripped out again. Distracted the Dunlending moved away and Cadoc sank to the ground.

Quirna had walked silently with Cadoc, weeping the whole way, which really wasn't far. Once he had ridden off and she could no longer make out his form, she returned to her chambers. There she sobbed her broken heart out, wondering if her man would ever come back. She knew it was rather unlikely that he returned her love, but her heart told her it had completely fallen for him, perhaps hopelessly.

After a couple of hours, she washed her face and prepared to request an audience before King Helm so she could share her real identity. After freshening herself the best she could, she walked towards the great hall, where the king would likely be found. A footman greeted her at the doorway and smiled. "What can I do for you, milady?" he inquired kindly.

"I would like to speak with King Helm, if that is possible," she quickly asked, before she could change her mind.

"One minute and I shall see." He returned and beckoned her inside.

"Thank you!" she told him as he led her to the king.

The large and majestic King Helm sat on a fancy chair, looking haggard and exhausted. "I was told you wished to see me. What is your name, little one?"

"Your majesty, I am Quirna. However, you know me by another name."

"Yes?" the ruler inquired, curious now.

"I am actually your armor-bearer, Éothain."

"What? You are a girl! I would never place a woman in such a position of danger." He was confused.

"I know, sire. However, I misled you into thinking I was a boy in order to protect myself. I had nowhere else to go and wanted to join the Rohirrim." She dared to look up, wondering just how Helm would respond.

He laughed. "My goodness! You could have told us up-front you were a girl and we would have ensured your safety. However, all is forgiven."

Just then, a servant interrupted them, whispering in the king's ear. Helm visibly paled, then shook and lowered his head.

"King Helm?" Quirna inquired unsure of what to do.

Emotion gleaming from his eyes, the ruler informed her, "My dear son, Hama, led many men to their deaths, against my better judgement. I warned him it was a foolhardy venture, but he refused to listen to me."

She gently patted his hand, offering silent comfort. Then it dawned on her: Cadoc was with that group! But he couldn't be dead, could he? No, impossible! Disregarding any code of conduct, she ran from the room and all the way down to the gate, fear and dread raging inside her. Helm, too deep in sorrow, barely noticed her departure.

The survivors, just returning to safety, made their way up to the great hall to regroup. There were only half a dozen at most. Quirna searched every face, and after a while stopped a soldier to ask about Cadoc.

"Sir, do you know Eolred?"

"Yes, I did."

That answer frightened the young lady. "Did? What do you mean?"

"I am afraid a Dunlending killed him. I'm sorry, dear one." With that he went on his way, leaving Quirna in a sea of misery. However, her heart told her there was still hope. So she went to the gate and asked the gatekeepers to let her out for a few minutes. At first they refused, because of the winter storm brewing, but gave in when she threatened to scale the wall. They offered to leave the gate open a little bit so she could return, and she accepted. Fearfully, she slowly stepped outside the safety of the Hornburg and scanned the horizon. A dark figure lay prostrate near the gate, and she timidly approached it. Upon further inspection, who could it be but Cadoc! She ran to his side and kissed him on the mouth. The metallic taste of blood assaulted her tongue and she drew back, knowing he needed help as quickly as possible.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Yes, ccgaylord, confessions are great! Continue keeping note of Quirna's height; glad you picked up on that. Just because one is small in size does not mean she's incapable of fighting for what is right!**_

_**Advisory Note: More descriptions of Cadoc's injury are present in this chapter, but I think it should still be a T rating.**_

**6\. Of Sickbeds &amp; Cats**

Half-conscious he had crawled two meters but gave up and rolled over gasping for breath. He had tried to whistle for Silver, but the fresh blood in his mouth prevented him from doing so. His breathing was racked; since every breath felt like a jab in his chest, he knew that he had broken ribs. Suddenly he felt something pressing to his lips that brought him to full consciousness. Opening his eyes he saw Éo…Quirna _what was she doing here?_ He groaned and covered his side with his cloak. Coughing he sat half way up despite the painful protesting of his injured side.

"Hello again," he said in a strangled voice.

"Oh, Cadoc! Hold on; I will get help!" Gently stroking the hair away from his face, she ran back inside the Hornburg and explained the situation the gatekeepers, getting them to help her carry him to safety. They ended up putting him in her room, since it was clean and available. Once summoned, the healers helped Quirna assess the wounds.  
One of the women took Quirna aside. "His condition is grave. He's been stabbed in the side, several ribs are broken, and he has a large wound on the back of his head. However, he may yet survive if we can keep infection and fever at bay."  
She sniffed, afraid the worst might happen to her true love and she would lose yet another significant person in her life.

Darkness. Confusion. Blood. That was all that he knew. His head pounded and his side ached. His coughing fits brought more blood to his mouth.

Quirna stayed by Cadoc's side, wiping his sweaty brow with a wet cloth from time to time. He had muttered something about "athelas" in his confusion, and when she asked for an explanation, it sounded like he said "kingsfoil." The healers sent someone to look for the weed; after all, it likely couldn't hurt anything since his condition was already so bad. Quirna herself crushed the leaves and applied them to both his wounds, then covered him back in his blankets. Now she would have to wait and care for him the best she could. Unfortunately, the winter had grown quite long and the food stores dwindled. A weak broth, all Quirna could manage, was administered to him from time to time, but he could not swallow much.

As she kept her beside vigil, the young lady held Cadoc's hand. "I...I do not know how to explain this...Please, you must get well." Then her tears softly fell on the blankets.

An endless nightmare. Blackness. Then, a sliver of light. A voice. He was rushing upwards out of the darkness. Cadoc's eyes opened. He blinked adjusting to the light. Quirna sat beside him. "Quirna."

"Cadoc? Are you awake?" Dare she hope he could actually recover from such grave injuries? Ah, her rolling off his lips felt so right…

"Yes," he said hesitantly, "What has happened?"

"You were wounded several days ago in a foolhardy skirmish. You've been unconscious most of that time, although the athelas that you called for seemed to greatly improve your status, even if we were unsure exactly how to use it." She lifted a gentle hand to check his brow for fever, and found it significantly cooler than before.

"Silver?" he asked, remembering.  
He sat up now, the pain was significantly less. Quirna's golden hair, though still short, was glimmering in the morning light. Her eyes turned towards him, their deep emerald green depths shining at him. For a moment he held the gaze, entranced.

She giggled. "You must be feeling better! Silver is safely inside the stables; he actually walked right up to the gate and knocked with his front hoof!"

Cadoc smiled, "That sounds like him. They say my mentor gave him to me to keep me from becoming an old man before my time."

Quirna let out a rather unladylike guffaw, greatly relieved to see her man getting back to himself – wait, when did she start thinking of him as "hers"? "I have to admit, I thought you were at least 50 when I first met you! Wait, how old are you anyway? About 25 or so?"

"Well, no," Cadoc answered, "you are a better guess than my people. I am 54."

"Really? I am 20, but I guess since you live longer you are actually nearer to my age than it sounds?"

"Really," he breathed, "my people live to be about 150 years."

"How wonderful! But I still think Silver needs to do his job better so you can lighten up and enjoy the rest of your life! You probably need a kitten too; I had one when I was with the corsairs. Starfish was found on the shores, a scraggly little creature. He brought much joy into my life!"

"That's why my people call me Old Tongued. I tend to be negative about situations. A cat?"

"Yes! Don't you like cats? Starfish was about my best friend, the only one who truly understood me. There is nothing like the sound of a cat's purr lulling you to sleep."

"I've never had one," Cadoc said, "my family only had horses."

"Once you get completely well we shall have to change that. I'd like another cat, since there is no way I will ever return to the corsairs. In fact, I might find one while you rest! You will be welcome to visit him any time!" She could hardly believe he'd had horses but no cats. No wonder he sounded so old!

"Well you might start now because I'm starting to get sleepy."  
Cadoc closed his eyes. Soon his chest rose and fell evenly.

After tucking the blankets gently around him, checking his forehead once again for fever and finding none, she took her leave. Once outside the room, the excitement welling up inside her ached to be released, so she started to hum a song her mother used to sing to her when she was very young. She walked through the Hornburg, knowing that there had to be cats somewhere. The stable was first on her list, not only because that is where cats tended to be kept, but also to check on Silver and her own horse, Silky.

"Good day!" Quirna greeted a stable hand. "The horse that knocked on the gate, Silver, is he here?"

"Yes, in this stall." The young boy pointed her in the right direction and she let herself into the stall. "Hello, Silver! Your master is feeling better now. He misses you." She stroked the strong beast and gave him an old carrot, then went to Silky's stall. That horse also got an old carrot. Then she found the stable boy again. "Would you happen to have any cats here? I am looking for a kitten."

"Actually, there are several cats, almost more than we can handle! One has kittens that are several weeks old now; if you like, you can pick our one of them."

"Really? Thank you so much!" He led her to the loft, where the mother cat had settled into a warm corner with her brood of six. Quirna examined all the kittens, then picked a small grey male. "Mind if I take this one?"

"Go right ahead!"

So the young lady found herself with a new pet, which she carried back to her chambers. On her way, she got more acquainted with her new friend. "Little kitten, I am taking you to meet a special friend of mine. He has been injured so I expect you to be on your best behavior. He is not used to cats, so it is up to you to prove your worth!" She quietly entered her room and found Cadoc resting peacefully. The kitten immediately curled up against his side while Quirna again felt his brow to make sure the fever had not returned; it had not, so she settled in another part of the room to get a much needed break. She had been so busy making sure the Ranger got the best care that there was little time left for her to rest herself. However, hearing her name on his lips did her heart, mind, and body more good than any amount of sleep ever could, especially since that was his first word after awakening. She slowly drifted off, for once relatively peaceful.

Cadoc woke after several hours. Quirna was sleeping peacefully across the room. Something warm was at his side. A little fuzz ball was curled up beside him, after examination he determined it was a kitten. Carefully he stroked it with his forefinger.

The kitten mewed quietly, happy that someone was finally paying attention to him. Quirna awoke from her slumber and softly made her way towards Cadoc. Finding him awake, she gave him some water. "I found this kitten in the stables and they said I can keep him! I thought I'd give you the honor of naming him. But first, do you think you can sit up by yourself a bit while I check your head and side?"

She gingerly lifted the blankets and tugged up his shirt to inspect his wound. "It looks much better. Now for your head."

"Hmmm," Cadoc pondered, "How about Havens?"  
She moved behind him and declared it looked better than his side. He protested when she inspected his head, "It doesn't feel better!" Then he was forced to take another drink and lay back down.

"I like that name, sweetheart." Oh dear; did she just call him that out loud? Quirna hoped he didn't notice. "Your head certainly looks much better than the first time I saw it. I'd say it still hurts badly though. Would you like some willow bark tea? That might soothe your pain and do you good; you need more liquids."

Cadoc raised an eyebrow, perhaps she meant the cat.  
"I would like some, please."  
She moved away to the fire. Havens jumped on the shadows moving across the sheets.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Ok, I think I'm just a desperate person; I'm posting this because I see someone else favorited it! YAY! Will you please tell me what you think so far? Gilraen would like to know if her writing is decent... ;)**_

_**And just so you know, this is one of my fave chapters :D But it wouldn't be possible without my awesome, unnamed coauthor! **_

**7\. Breaking Free**

A half-grown Havens jumped on a fat mouse, much to the amusement of Cadoc, now recovered, and Quirna, his ever faithful companion during his walks.

Quirna giggled. "I find that so adorable! I have no idea why, since our little Havens is killing. And I think he's grown on you; admit it: you love cats now, right?" She really wanted him to share her love for the precious creatures. Playfully punching his arm, she looked up at the handsome man.

"Yes, Havens is a dear friend now," Cadoc smiled.

Quirna laughed, her emerald eyes sparkling and her now longer hair free and dancing on the wind.

"Wilfrid will be leaving ," he said hesitantly.

"Yes? Will you be joining him? I wish this war was over..." Her eyes lost the sparkle that was there moments before, dreading his answer yet knowing it would be affirmative.

"I will. I was sent here to fight for Rohan and since I'm recovered I will." His mind wandered back to that last awful battle. Then he remembered something he hadn't before: the strange sensation on his lips before he came to.

"Did you kiss me?" he asked suddenly, "That night you found me wounded?"

Quirna blushed a becoming shade of deep red. "Yes, I did. I shouldn't have done that; I'm sorry." She looked down, totally embarrassed at her brazenness.

He stopped, "Perhaps you could demonstrate…I don't quite remember." Since that night so long ago he had felt a growing affection for Quirna. Leaning down he raised her chin and pressed his lips to hers.

Startled, Quirna stood still for a minute, then slowly, and hesitantly at first, responded to his tender caress. They felt warm and soft, gentle yet passionate, and she soon eagerly responded, stretching upwards as far as she could and wrapping her arms around him. How she loved this man, and hoped he loved her!

_Maybe she does love me. Should I tell her? Stop being silly! You just kissed the girl; how else is she supposed to react. She could have turned away._  
Wild thoughts ran through his head as he pulled back. They stared in each other's eyes and just then words didn't seem appropriate. He awkwardly backed up. "I need to go; Wilfrid will be waiting…" he stammered.

"Cadoc, I must come with you to fight." She put her hand against his mouth gently to stop the protest she knew would come. "I lived with corsairs for two years, remember? I can handle battle, and it would pain me more to leave your side, not knowing if you would ever return to me, my love." The endearment slipped out again; after all, she had just been kissed for the first time in her entire life, of course her brain was a bit fuzzy. But she simply had to quit doing this. Then she removed her hand, knowing he must reply.

"No, anything can happen on a battle," he protested, "I'll be safe. Don't worry, the Dunlendings are weak and Wilfrid expects to be able to beat them out of Rohan."

She resisted his protests, growing angry. "Remember I defeated you, and here I am a full foot shorter? I know you are a skilled warrior, yet something bad could happen."

"I was testing you. I know how to react to that move and even if I lost my sword I still have my dagger or my bow."

"Besides, you cannot just kiss a girl like that then leave! I will be joining you, by your leave or not." Tears shone in her eyes as she awaited yet another rejection, turning her back to him. She had always felt she must be lacking somewhere because no one would take her, which is why she almost enjoyed masquerading as a man. It seemed much easier, safer, and helped her forget about her lack of romance. As much as she loved Cadoc, she found it hard to believe he could return her affections, especially since they met with her living in a huge lie.

Quirna's words felt like a slap across the face. "I kissed you because I love you," he said passionately as he gently turned her to face him again, "and I have since you found me that night. I love you with every breath I breathe!" He stopped, looking down into her eyes for a moment then kissed her again. "After this war," he said, "Come back with me. Marry me if you will."

"What? You mean you could have defeated me and yet chose not to? When you were so anxious to hear about my past?" Quirna didn't understand and almost missed his proposal.

"I had pity on you and wanted to see the victory in your eyes."

She looked up at him, love glowing out from her soul.

"Wait, you want to marry me, and you love me? Despite my past and all my problems?" She hardly believed it could be true.

"Yes, sweet one; would I have asked you if I felt otherwise?"

He loved her! How was that possible? "Yes, my love, I will marry you! I will go with you wherever you want; it has been so long since I have been tied down that I am used to life on the move."

"I have a farm on the Evendim. We won't have to wander for long. We can have horses…and cats," he laughed as Havens twirled around their legs.  
The horn sounded calling for the men.

"That sounds wonderful! Come, we must heed the call. And yes, I still will be joining you! If you want to marry me you shall have to keep in mind that I am rather headstrong." She smiled at him and quickly kissed him one last time, then they headed out to join the fray.

"But!" Cadoc protested.

But she had already disappeared into the crowd. Shaking his head, he brought Silver out and vaulted onto his shadowy back. Wilfrid sat tall and proud on a chestnut stallion, his pale golden hair flowing down from under his helmet. Taking a breath he drew his sword from its scabbard and cried, "Forth Riders!"

Quirna also joined the shouts of "Forth Eorlingas!" Exhilaration flooded her being at being able to cross swords with someone once again; she had missed her sparring matches on the ship. Silky seemed especially excited to join the other horses and riders, eager to get out of the stronghold and join in whatever was going on.

Unfortunately, she lost sight of Cadoc. After a moment, that did not matter: a large Dunlending charged towards her. "On guard!" She shouted aggressively and easily dispatched of her foe, this time knowing that even though killing was undesirable, it was the only choice in this case.

The fighting was desperate for a time but soon the Riders were cleaving a path through the Dunlendings. Cadoc shot until he had only three arrows then used his sword. The Dunlendings started fleeing in terror. "Victory!"

Quirna, armed only with her cutlass and two throwing knives she did not plan to use, had killed several Dunlendings and was quite relieved when she heard the shout of victory come from her side of the fray. She looked around for Cadoc, hoping he had not been injured as she so feared. Thankfully his dark head was easy to spot within all the blonde ones of the Rohirrim. Silky daintily stepped over and around the bodies, letting his master take him towards the Ranger.

"Cadoc!" she cried happily, waving at him.

Cadoc joined the rejoicing army. Silver snorted and stamped excited with battle fury. Cadoc searched the crowd for Quirna but couldn't see her.

"To Edoras! Reclaim what is ours!" rose the cry.

Apparently Cadoc couldn't hear or see her over all the commotion. Quirna worked her way towards where she last saw him, catching a glimpse of the back of his head while he pushed forward.

"Excuse me!" she cried as she attempted to lead Silky closer to her man. "Cadoc!" was her constant cry.

Cadoc turned his head; he could hear Quirna's voice but couldn't see her. Wilfird, still mounted, rode around his men yelling encouragement. "Let us ride to Edoras!"

Being short was such a bother! Try as she might, Quirna lost sight of Cadoc yet again. However, she persistently worked Silky towards the front of the line, a difficult task as all the riders charged forth to regain another city.

Cadoc mounted Silver in order to find Quirna but the excited horse joined the charge.

"To Edoras! Kill the usurper!"

"To Edoras!" Quirna found herself replying, although she was unsure of its exact location. She turned to the man next to her, hoping it wasn't too obvious she was a woman. "Excuse me, but do you know how long it will take to get to Edoras?"

"I should think at least a day, at this pace, likely more than two since our horses will have to rest at some point. Shouldn't you know that already?"

"Um, I have lived a mostly sheltered life. Thank you!" She pushed on ahead before the man got too nosy, still unable to locate the only man she cared about.

Cadoc pressed on with the other Riders. The day passed slowly, and still they rode on. At midday they met Fréaláf, the king's nephew who had retreated to Dunharrow when the battle had turned against them. Wilfrid gladly gave over his command to the future king, then they rode on. Night came and they camped, the fires dotted across the plains with dozens of men gathered around them. Somewhere however, there was a woman among them.

_I am so glad I thought to wear pants!_ Quirna remarked to herself, grateful for her skill of blending in with the menfolk. Skirts made her feel so cold in the dead of winter, so she chose to wear britches much of the time and today had been no exception. However, she greatly desired to be near her fiancé to soak up his warmth and could not locate him. She chose a fire near the front of the line and settled in, hoping she could find him in the morning. She introduced herself as Éothain, once again hiding her true identity. After all, the men would likely send her back and she had come much too far to return now. Being in Rohan these past few months opened her heart not just to the land but also its people, good and kindly folk who loved their country and fellow countrymen. She had to help them regain their lands! She settled down by a fire where a tale was being told.

"And thus the winter held the land in its terrible grip. Both rider and brigade suffered from the cold. But King Helm, he suffered less, for revenge for his sons was in his mind. Lonely nights when frost lay heavy, he would stride out into enemy camp and slay many. Returning in the morn covered in blood leaving behind a trail of bodies. That was his fuel, his nourishment, his lifeblood and he needed naught else. But one day he strode out, his enemies fleeing before his face, but Winter would not run and she defied him sending snow and frost. Not with mortal weapon could the greatest man defy the White Lady and she surrounded him. In the morn, all was silent. Alas! King Helm stood there, dead, knees unbent, for not even in death would he bow to Winter or her fell tools. The riders brought their king in and laid him in a coffin and there he waits till he can return to the halls of his fathers and there find his sons again and tell how he defied Winter."


	9. Chapter 9

_**Gilraen is still awaiting reviews...tension rises in her tale!**_

**8\. A Plan**

Fréaláf stood away from the camp, the Ranger, Eolred, beside him. He doubted his leadership, his plans, and most of all himself.

"The men look up to you Fréaláf. You are Rohan's only hope. Do not throw away your life needlessly in the next battle." Cadoc warned.

"I never wanted the throne," Fréaláf replied softly, "My uncle and two cousins could take care of that, so I focused on becoming a general or a marshal…I never guessed they would all die in one winter. I'm not prepared."

The Ranger shifted, a long puff of smoke exiting the pipe. "Rohan needs your leadership else it will fall into ruin." Cadoc replied.

"I will not fail her." Fréaláf breathed.

"Good."

Fréaláf turned back towards camp but Cadoc stayed nearly invisible in the pale light.

O_O

Quirna settled in for the night and thought she heard Cadoc's voice; however, she was too tired to investigate and figured she could catch him in the morning. Almost as soon as her head hit the ground she was fast asleep. Morning came much too quickly for her liking, and she still couldn't locate her man. The horses, though tired from the hard ride the previous day, sensed the important event about to take place and pressed on with energy; in fact, Silky became so high-strung that Quirna struggled to control him and ended up having to slip closer to the end of the line.

O_O

Silver snorted and desperately tried to race Fréaláf's horse but his master held him back. Cadoc had discussed plans of attack with the young king and his commanders for most of the day. It was certain that no news of their attacks had reached Meduseld. Fréaláf had made sure of that by slaying any Dunlending that came in sight of them. They would have a large stretch of plain to cross and the possibility of being sighted too soon was inevitable. But they were going to try it nonetheless.

O_O

Silky definitely was having a much better time than his mistress. He was excited about battle, being a rather new experience but one he enjoyed immensely; Quirna not so much. She grew nervous at the prospect of more killing yet also happy she could be a part of taking back a wonderful country. Turning to the man beside her, she asked, "Any idea how much further it is to Edoras?"

"I'd say the plan is to camp at dark, then in the morning we should not be far from there. They tell me there is a large plain between here and there, which will be dangerous due to having nowhere to hide from our enemy. However, it is the most direct way."

"Oh! Thank you," she replied and quickly headed off to a different part of the line; she was unsure of herself since it had been a while since she masqueraded as a boy and did not want anyone asking questions. They all charged on in relative silence, sensing the need to be elusive yet at the same time wishing to reach their destination as quickly as possible.

O_O

The debate on how to get into Edoras lasted several hours longer. Finally, wearied by their useless ideas, Cadoc suggested a unthought-of plan. "What if two men were to enter Edoras in disguise, walk around the town learning about their defenses, and when the time comes attack the gate guards and keep them clear till the armies arrive."

"Only two?"

"To avoid suspicion."

"A well thought out plan it may work," Fréaláf noted. "Who are the two?"

"Myself and a volunteer," Cadoc said softly.

"I will go." piped up a young marshal called Dreawine.

"Very good." Fréaláf agreed.

Dreawine was the son of an Anorien marshal and a Gondorian maid. His hair was dark and his build was slight but sturdy. Definitely someone to trust your back to.

"There are two wounded Dunlendings that died you can use; we were going to bury them tonight."

"You leave at night," Fréaláf ordered, "no one is to know you're leaving and no one is to know where or why they left if they are missed."

O_O

After another long day and more exhaustion, Quirna was ready to settle down for the night, this time more in the middle of the camp. She had no idea where Cadoc had gone and again could not summon up enough energy to even ask about him. Then she realized that last night she had slept relatively well, having only one nightmare when compared to the multiple ones that plagued her soul and prevented her from ever sleeping fully through the night. She hoped that night would bring the same.

O_O

"Ugh, I think something died in this," Dreawine sniffed.

"Something did," Cadoc replied, holding his breath as he slid the woolly tunic over his head. They had ridden out of camp that night they were near the plain and readying their disguises.

"Do they ever bathe?"

"No, if you want to be true to character I suggest you go roll in a pig sty."

"No thanks."

Cadoc wrapped the fur cloak around his neck and stuffed his real clothes in his pack, they had left the horses behind, Dunlendings were not fond of horses.

Dreawine was optimistic about the journey while Cadoc was wondering how long it would take the army to reach the gates, and if they would be on time.

"Better get on," he said slinging his pack over one shoulder.

O_O

The middle of the night brought a terrifying nightmare to Quirna. Similar to her usual about her parents' deaths, she dreamed a house was on fire, and Cadoc was inside. To make matters worse, Dunlendings surrounded the house and she tried to keep them at bay so her true love could escape yet had little luck; there were too many. She woke up, biting back a scream, just as the house started to cave in and a Dunlending descended upon her. Her cold sweat prevented her from falling back to sleep for several hours, and consequently she slept longer than she intended the next morning. Luckily for her they would stay in the camp and rest until they heard a horn blowing, the signal to charge into the fray and take back Edoras. Fréaláf commanded that all men be prepared for battle, so Quirna girded herself with her cutlass, made sure Silky was saddled and ready to go, and that all her minimum supplies were safely packed away. _Still not the right time to look for Cadoc_, she thought to herself.

O_O

Edoras, though the same on the outside, was changed drastically. Trash littered the streets and dogs ran rampant.

"It's changed so much," Dreawine whispered.

"Indeed," Cadoc said grimly.

Except for a guardhouse at the gates there were no other sentries. The Dunlendings sat around doing nothing, still, there was the chance that the Riders would be spotted.

"Time to get to the gates."

O_O

_It is taking so long to start! Perhaps I have enough time to find Cadoc_, Quirna pondered, ready to get this battle over and done with so she could finally get married. She led Silky towards the front of the camp, searching for a certain Ranger.

A man struggled with a wild shadowy horse. The horse bucked and kicked wildly and the man fought with him. Of course he never hurt him, no a Rohirrim would never do that, but he tried to calm the horse. He dealt with rider-less horses whose riders were injured badly or killed during battles. A boy leading a sable horse was nearest to a much needed rope.

"Boy, hand me that rope would you?"

She quickly obliged and once the horse calmed enough she began to realize two things. First, why was the man struggling so much with this horse? The Rohirrim were skilled horsemen and almost never had issue with them. However, she assisted by giving the man the rope he needed, hoping he could control the horse soon before any damage was done.

"Sir, that horse does not appear to be yours; his reaction to you tells me you are not his usual master. May I ask what you are doing with him?" she inquired once the man seemed to have the situation under control.

"Thanks boy," he breathed wiping sweat from his brow. "No, none of these are mine. I just care for them. All of them have lost their riders, this one in particular misses his late master."

Wait a second, she knew that horse! It was none other than Silver, Cadoc's noble steed. "Excuse me? Did you just say his 'late' master? I know him! Tell me, what happened to Eolred?" Fear shook her heart as she thought of the prospect of Cadoc's untimely death. She had already lost so much; how could she bear to lose the man she loved, perhaps the only person in the world who truly loved her. Her hands visibly shook and she hoped the man wouldn't notice.

"King Fréaláf brought the horses, the young Anorien Marshal's horse is here as well. Pity. Ye might look among the wounded or ask the King. Sorry lad that's all I know."

Unbidden tears filled her eyes. "Sir, will you direct me to the wounded and let me take this horse? I feel he will behave better around me, since he knows me." She could not believe her beloved was dead; he just couldn't be!

"At the back of the line. I believe the King rode that way."

"Thank you!" she hurriedly replied and anxiously led both the steeds to the rear. Upon finding the wounded, she inquired around, peering at almost every face. After around an hour, she felt she had searched every place and still had not located Cadoc. That meant either he was dead or missing in action somehow. So she decided to take the matter to Fréaláf himself. Then she marched over to the leader; surely he knew something of the Dúnedain man. "Hello, I am Éothain. I wondered if you could tell me the whereabouts of a rider named Eolred?"

The leader found this question quite strange. "I am afraid I can tell you nothing of this man."

Taken aback, she had trouble biting back her anger. "I know he would want to be near you at all times; surely you have met him and talked with him!"  
Again, he denied her an answer. "I am truly sorry; I cannot tell you where he is at the moment. Why do you ask?"

"He is a dear friend of mine, and my loyalties lie with him almost as much as they do with Rohan itself. If we are to die, I want to die by his side." Then, afraid she had revealed way too much, she quickly excused herself and made her way back to the horses; at least they gave her something else to do and on which to focus.

"He is not here." Fréaláf called.

**_Note: Please review! Please?_**


	10. Chapter 10

_**ccgaylord: I'm so glad you're reading! You shall just have to wait &amp; see if Cadoc &amp; Dreawine are alright! **_

_**Other reviews are welcome and greatly desired...please?**_

**9\. Attack!**

They had put on their old clothes, concealing them under the matted cloaks. Cadoc gripped his sword hilt. "Now," he hissed.

—  
Back at camp Fréaláf mounted and shouted. "Up Riders! Battle is near! Wait for the horn!"

Quirna quickly mounted Silky, holding onto Silver's rope for as long as possible. She adjusted her cutlass to have the easiest access and took a deep breath, determined to focus more on the battle than her missing man. The tension between both riders and horses was intense; all knew at any second they would charge into the fray, all rather uncertain of how things would play out.

Finally, a horn sounded in the distance.

"Forth Eorlingas!" Fréaláf shouted as he led the charges, the Rohirrim answering the battle cry.

Silky reared his head and ran with all his might, Silver keeping up easily behind him. _Maybe bringing Silver along was not such a good idea; what will I do with him? Hopefully Cadoc will show up!_ Quirna thought as she easily kept her seat on the galloping steed.

Cadoc walked over to the nearest Dunlending. "Hi," he said sardonically before driving his fist straight into the man's nose.

The Dunlending tumbled backwards spewing curses. Dreawine drew a hidden horn out and blew a loud note before plowing into the gate guard. Now the Dunlendings were alerted. Some attacked the two men at the gates others ran to Meduseld.

Fréaláf presented a noble picture as he led his men (and lone woman) into battle against the Dunlendings, ready to take back Rohan. However, Quirna was closer to the rear and unable to see him, although she had no issue hearing his shouts. Horses snorted and men whooped as they prepared to fight. The excitement finally overcame her fear as she focused on getting to the enemy and conquering them, trying her best to push her worries about Cadoc to the back of her mind. Silky, definitely high strung, did not enjoy having Silver trailing behind, so she gave up and pushed him towards the rear where she knew someone would find him and care for him. Cadoc could double up with her if need be, providing she could find him. She blushed as she recalled how warm his arms felt when they enclosed around her, and things would be even closer on the same horse. But she shook those thoughts from her head so she would not be too distracted to fight.

Cadoc and Dreawine were now pressed back to back in front of the gates. Dunlendings surrounded them, now and then a cry from Wulf, the usurper.

"Kill them!"

All attention was focused on them, _That buys a little more time_, Cadoc thought while driving his sword through a Dunlending's heart. Suddenly a cry broke forth. "The Rohirrim! They are coming!"

Attacks doubled, Dreawine was bleeding from a slice that scratched his leg before he could block it. A Dunlending pressed heavily on Cadoc, who focused on blocking his sword thrusts. Another Dunlending rammed his shield into Cadoc's left arm. He could feel the bone snapping as the shield down into it. He yelled and pushed that Dunlending back with his foot and sliced the head off the one who was preparing to jab at his head. _Where was Fréaláf?_

Just then, the furious cries of the Rohirrim sounded nearer as they quickly approached Edoras. Quirna yelled right along with them, once again relishing the thought of crossing swords with the enemy; she loved the sound of metal clashing against metal and the victory of defeating her foes. Within five minutes they arrived at the city, rushing through the gateway with a loud cry of, "Forth Eorlingas!"

Cutlass slashing through the air, Quirna quickly disposed of several Dunlendings in rapid succession. Silky responded to her so well that she had yet to receive any injuries, although already her arm was a bit tired from not practicing her swordplay often enough.

Cadoc and Dreawine withdrew as the first Riders pounded through the gates, trampling all in their path. Cadoc, with his good arm, helped Dreawine into the now deserted guardhouse. He tore his tunic and made a hasty bandage for the young marshal's leg, it was more than a scratch. His limp left arm was hurriedly tied against his body by Dreawine who insisted on going out again.

"The last of the Rohirrim are in," he protested, "surely there are two horses among them. My leg is fine!"

Cadoc sighed and helped him outside. Indeed, Dreawine's palomino and Silver stood outside warily eyeing the dead bodies.

Quirna pushed on to the other side of the city, dispatching of Dunlendings left and right. One got a bit too close and scathed her leg slightly with his blade; it hurt immensely but she knew it was only a surface wound that would quickly close, ignoring the blood seeping from her pant leg. Looking down at Silky's side, she made sure the blade had not caught him as well and experienced a flood of relief to know he was fine.

Oblivious to everyone around them, the largest Dunlending she had ever seen came upon her and engaged in swordplay. She dodged and slashed, circled and stabbed, but try as she might she could not defeat her foe. She felt herself slipping from Silky as the Dunlending tried to claim one last life.

Cadoc mounted Silver, keeping his bad arm clear. Fortunately his sword arm was undamaged. He cleaved a path through the Dunlendings. Suddenly spotted a large Dunlending bearing down on young boy. _Quirna_! For a moment everything froze, but then a fey mood descended on him and he charged furiously at the Dunlending. Silver snorted and reared. Impatiently, he leapt off of Silver's back and onto the giant. They rolled several paces exchanging punches. Cadoc's arm throbbed and burned but he held his ground. Finally he managed to grab his dagger and drove it several times into the Dunlending giant. Rolling over he breathed deep before pulling himself back on Silver.

Screaming as she fell, someone came to her rescue. Quirna watched the figures roll together and noticed her opponent lost, thankfully. She pushed herself back onto Silky, leg throbbing where it had been injured; her fall opened the wound back up. However, the pain wasn't severe enough to deter her from continuing her part in the battle.

Several things then fell into place: her rescuer was riding Silver, Cadoc's steed! Who could it be?

The man was dressed like a Dunlending but obviously was not one of them; why else would he rescue her? At any rate, she simply must thank him! Riding up to the man, she called after his retreating figure, "Thank you for saving me! I am Éothain; who are you?"

He turned to look at her and she realized it was none other than her beloved Cadoc! "Cadoc!" she shrieked joyfully and rode Silky up to him, threw her arms around him and kissed him soundly. "Sweetheart, I have missed you so much! I found Silver and thought you might be dead! I was so worried! Do not ever leave my side again, you hear me?" She was so relieved she could hardly let him get a word in edgewise. Not caring who might see, or even if the enemy was still about, she kept her arms around him, loath to let him go ever again.

"Éothain," he gently reminded. He carefully favored his arm.

"You're wounded!" he cried, noticing her leg.

But Quirna began fighting again. Cadoc sighed but pushed Silver forward, and the battle pushed them slowly away from Quirna. Just then, a fully armed brigade of corsairs burst from the doors of Meduseld.

_Oh no!_ thought Quirna as she noticed the corsairs. Honestly, they were mostly kind to her when she lived with them those two years and she had learned many useful things from them, especially how to wield her cutlass. Now she had to decide between former friendship and her loyalty to Rohan. What a tough choice! However, she knew remaining on the side of the Rohirrim was key to her survival and that their ways were certainly much better than those of the pirates. Although she hated to kill those amongst whom she lived, she knew she had to do it. She noticed Cadoc had once again gravitated from her and she made her way back to his side, unwilling to let him part from her so soon. She hoped the corsairs would not recognize her; if she had had time to think it over, she may have come to the conclusion that they might want to kill her for breaking loyalties with them, especially when they saw her battling alongside Cadoc.

Riding Silky forward, Quirna let out a loud yell of, "Forth Eorlingas!" Several corsairs whom she did not recognize met her head-on, and she quickly dispatched of them with her cutlass, neatly severing heads from bodies in one clean stroke at a time yet in rapid succession.

Cadoc turned Silver towards Quirna. A cry rose into the air…

"Watch out, Finn me boy!"

Silver snorted and half reared as a huge corsair rammed into him. Cadoc leaped from the noble horse's back as he fell. Silver whinnied and scrambled back up but his master rolled to avoid skewering by the corsair. Rain started falling from the unnoticed clouds above.

Quirna bit back a scream as she watched her former captain, Jagwind, knock Cadoc from Sliver's back. She knew her loyalties to him must be severed if she was to save her beloved, and she determinedly set out to do just that.

"Eolred, watch out!" she yelled as she raced Silky towards him. Skidding to a stop, she propelled herself over Silky's head and landed, not-so-gracefully, near the downed Ranger. She cautiously approached, warning the man who had once taken her in as a cabin boy. "Captain Jagwind, don't kill him!" She hoped her voice didn't squeak too much or sound too feminine.

Captain Jagwind looked at her quizzically. "Finn, what's all this? You 'avin' a change of heart?"

"Yes. I am now loyal to Rohan, not you. I honestly do not want to kill you, but I will if you refuse to give me the choice." She had noticed Cadoc's left arm seemed to be broken, and she was unsure how much more fighting the bedraggled man could take.

Anger glared in the corsair's eyes. "Arg, if that's how it's going to be..." He walked towards Cadoc, who still lay on the ground, and prepared to run him through. However, Quirna charged towards him and jumped in front of her true love, placing her cutlass in front of her defensively. Her love for him was so great that she more than willingly risked her life to save his.

_**~Drum roll of suspenseful music~ Will Cadoc survive? Will Captain Jagwind kill him before Quirna's eyes, with her standing there powerless to stop him? Maybe I should require a review for you to find out...  
**_


	11. Chapter 11

**10\. A Woman**

Quirna clashed swords with Jagwind, dodged and stabbed, until she felt she could hardly lift her weapon another time. Sparring with him was harder than she remembered, probably because she was already quite tired. Then, with a last burst of energy, she stabbed the captain in the side, and he died instantly.

She made her way to Cadoc's side as she heard Fréaláf call out their victory. "Cadoc, sweetheart," she tenderly crooned as she brushed his hair from his face. "Why didn't you tell me about your arm? Did you break it when you were saving me?" She realized at this moment he willingly risked his life for her, and if she ever doubted his love, she knew it was true and pure now.

"No," he answered through clenched teeth. "I got it holding the gates."

"Before you saved me? I love you, my Cadoc." She kissed his forehead, knowing he was in too much pain for anything more. "Sweetheart, we need to get your arm set. It's going to hurt even more, but I cannot help that. Do you think you can make it inside one of these buildings with my help? Then I can find the materials I need."

"Yes," he said sitting up and casting off the Dunlending cloak. "I'm not invalid," he laughed.

The rain came down in blinding sheets, making their hair cling to their soaked heads.

"I know!" Quirna smiled, grateful he hadn't yet lost his sense of humor. She guided him into a building and settled him down, draping a blanket around him. "I need you to stay here while I find some suitable materials. I'll be right back." With that she left, and within five minutes returned with two strong pieces of board and some strips of cloth.

"Alright, I'm ready if you are." She tenderly examined his arm. "I can tell it's a fairly clean break. Now I'm going to slowly straighten your arm and align the bones, then I'll get it tied up securely so you can't move it and it will heal." She pulled on his arm and winced when hit bit his lip and scrunched up his eyes, hand tight on the sword hilt as the pain washed over him, yet he made no sound. "I'm sorry, sweetheart." Then she wrapped his arm and tied a larger piece of cloth around him as a sling. "Now, I need to change my clothes. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Is that your blood or another's," he asked worriedly.

"Mine," she replied nonchalantly. "I didn't quite make it out of the way in time and consequently got a large scratch. If I poor some alcohol on it I think I'll be just fine. I'd actually forgotten it until you mentioned it!" Before he could scold her, she exited the room and returned a few minutes later, now dressed as a female in a plain brown skirt and off-white blouse, a bandage barely showing beneath her hem.

_She was quick_, he thought, ignoring his throbbing arm. "You look beautiful," he said softly.

She laughed out loud. "Thank you! I feel horrible and ugly."

"You're nothing of the sort!" he exclaimed, getting up. He placed a quick kiss on her lips then took her arm. "Come, before they miss us."

"Must we go so soon? I think we both could use a slight respite before rejoining the Rohirrim."

"Respite must be saved for later," Cadoc said. "We must see about our friends."  
They stepped out into the now fading day. The rain had stopped, but rivers of watered down blood ran through the streets and pooled under bodies. Fréaláf was nowhere to be found but Dreawine rode up. He was pale and his bandaged leg was soaked in blood.

"Hallo there Eolred."

Eyes bulging at all the blood, Quirna turned to the man. "We need to get that wound cared for right away!"

Cadoc helped Dreawine dismount, introducing them as they went. Then he was helped into a building that was thankfully nearby. Quirna made him sit. "Dreawine, you have to sit here and don't move! Eolred, you might have to hold him down while I pour this on his leg."

She removed a bottle of an unknown substance and poured it on the nasty wound. Dreawine screamed in pain but held still, thanks to Cadoc. Then Quirna, with Cadoc's instruction, put some athelas on it and bandaged up the leg, gently but firmly. "There," she exclaimed happily when she finished, worried but hoping they had gotten to the poor man in time.

"Thank you ma'am," Dreawine breathed. "Well we made it, Eolred, and I certainly will since I got those clothes off," he wrinkled his nose and kicked at the nearby Dunlending cloak.

"You're welcome! Now I think both of you have some explaining to do: what on earth were you doing dressed in Dunlending clothes, inside the city instead of out with the rest of the Rohirrim?" Now that the men had been cared for, she finally had time to process some of the events and could not figure out how these things came to be. She placed her right hand on her hip, her gaze going pointedly back and forth between her rugged companions.

Dreawine glanced at Cadoc before beginning, "We were holding the gates open so the Riders could get across the plains and into Edoras…"

Quirna gasped. "Ca-Eolred, you didn't tell me? You know I would have joined you! And after all I said about not leaving you again?" She glared at her man before cuddling up next to him protectively, a bit miffed that she knew nothing of these plans.

"A woman in battle?" Dreawine snickered, "not even our shield-maidens go to war."  
"King Fréaláf wanted the mission secret and there was no certainty of survival. Plus I did not have time to talk to you."

Quirna unwrapped herself from Cadoc, straightened to her full height and glared menacingly at Dreawine. "Hmph! Just so you know, I have fought with the Rohirrim on several occasions, disarmed Eolred here in a friendly sword-fight, and today alone I lost track of how many Dunlendings I killed. Several corsairs are also on my list. I may be small, but Eolred will confirm I am about as tough as any man." Little did Dreawine realize that one of his descendants, Éowyn, would also join the Rohirrim as a male and fight for her country.

She turned to Cadoc, "Yes, I had forgotten we got separated. I still wish you had found me first! What if you didn't make it? You are the only person I have left in this world."

Dreawine raised an eyebrow, "Well then you are among the first of women to fight among the Rohirrim."  
Cadoc shifted, "The Rohirrim got here just in time."

"Well, surely more women have had the same idea I had: to masquerade as a man and fight with them. In fact, I think more women should be allowed to fight. But come, Eolred, we must quit arguing and make sure no one else needs our aid, then find Fréaláf and see if he could use us for anything." This time Quirna grabbed Cadoc's arm and led him away, tired of being put down just because she was a woman.

Dreawine grinned at Cadoc as she dragged him away. Cadoc and Quirna approached King Fréaláf.

"My lord king," Cadoc said bowing slightly.

"You held them open and I thank you for that," Fréaláf replied. "And who is this?"

"This is Quirna; you may know her under a different name."

She stepped forward and curtsied to the new king. "King Fréaláf, I must confess I joined the Rohirrim dressed as a man and going by the name 'Éothain.' I hope you don't mind!"

The new leader laughed. "As long as you helped us gain the victory, which I can tell you did, I do not mind you keeping your identity as a woman secret. However, in the future it may be wise for you to leave the fighting to the menfolk. But that decision is ultimately up to you and your man."

"Thank you, your Majesty!" Quirna replied, much relieved. "Is there anything we can do for you?"

"Nothing more than what you have already done," Fréaláf answered kindly and turned to Cadoc. "I wish to honor you and Dreawine at my coronation in a fortnight, for holding the gates."

Cadoc frowned, "You needn't…"

"But I must," the king answered.

A funny look came over Cadoc's face but he nodded. Fréaláf walked away. "How about that rest?" he asked rubbing his arm.

"Don't rub it, sweetheart! And yes, that sounds wonderful!" She gently grabbed his right arm and led him to a dry but deserted building. She was able to start a fire, and soon the loving couple snuggled together by it, sharing a blanket. A cup of willow bark tea sat near them, mostly for Cadoc. Quirna could only find one flagon and thus they had to share, which neither minded.

Quirna tucked her knees up to her chest, carefully making sure nothing could show underneath her skirt, and wrapped her right arm around them, her left entwined about Cadoc's waist. He held his arm a bit awkwardly as he tried to get used to his constraints, which he would have about six more weeks to give the bone time to heal. His right arm protectively held Quirna to his side, his hand warm and comforting on her shoulder. She took a deep breath before speaking. "Cadoc, before we get married I must confess something." He gave her a quizzical look but allowed her to continue. "I…I have nightmares every night, sometimes more than once, all revolving around the fire that killed my parents. I constantly relive it and can never save my parents!" – She sensed Cadoc was about to speak and gently placed her hand across his mouth, and he responded by tenderly grabbing her wrist and pressing her fingers to his lips, a gesture of his love and care for her. – "You are in them now too, and I cannot save you either. I always wake up in a horrible, cold sweat. It's so awful! Why didn't I insist my mother come outside with me?" She looked down, tears welling up in her eyes as her experience wreaked its havoc to the very depths of her soul.

"From what you have told me, you tried. That is all you could do. Do not ask 'why' or 'if'. See what it has transpired. Do not worry about me, not even dragon fire could catch me," he smiled.

"Thank you, sweetheart. I will try to quit blaming myself, although I think it will take a long time for me to get to that point. And I will always worry about you because I love you! I know no one is invincible; see how even you managed to come out of one scuffle severely wounded, and now you have a broken arm? I'm sorry I'm so clingy; you are really the only person I have in this world now and I don't want to lose you." She snuggled closer to him and kissed him gently, tears slowly subsiding as his words of wisdom sunk in and helped start a beautiful healing process within her inner being.

"You must know something if you are to become my wife," Cadoc said sternly. "The Dúnedain are often called on to perform missions, you will not always be by my side. You must learn how to let go and feel peace."

"I will try my best, but I cannot guarantee anything. I know it is not good for us to constantly be together anyway. Cadoc, I love you so much and don't want to lose you, but I understand if you feel you no longer want to marry me. Can you tell me how your mother coped with your father being gone?" Her tears started to fall again; she knew she was on a long road of learning how to let her man be himself and perform his duties.

"I do want to marry you," he answered earnestly. "I don't remember much, I know she put up a brave front but she missed him. When he never came back from Umbar she broke."

"I'm so sorry about your loss, sweetheart. I know I shall certainly miss you when you are away. Thank you for still wanting to marry me; I was so worried you wouldn't be able to handle all my doubts and fears. I know having our horses, cats, and later children to care for will help me stay busy enough. Tell me, are there other farms nearby? At my old farm, there was no one for miles around so I never really had any friends, just my mother." She relaxed at his side, grateful he understood her and willingly helped her work through her fears.

"Some of my fellow trainees live nearby and there is a village about a mile away."

"Really? That's wonderful! I can ride into the village every day if I want! I love you so much. You know, the day I first realized I was in love with you was when we had our swordfight and you demanded to know about my corsair past. The moment I saw the compassion in your eyes, I realized you were the one for me." She gazed lovingly at him. "That, my love, is why I hugged you before you went on that foolhardy mission, and why I kissed you when I found you dying outside the Hornburg."

"Well I can't say the same thing," Cadoc smiled, "but I knew when I first woke after the battle." He pulled her closer with his good arm.

She kissed him passionately. "I'm so tired, I think I'll rest my eyes for a minute." Nestled in the safety of the crook of his arm, Quirna drifted off to sleep, feeling peaceful and safe.

Softly Cadoc removed his arm from hers and wrapped a blanket around her. He moved a few paces away and curled up in his cloak.


	12. Chapter 12

**11\. Going**

The two weeks passed slowly especially for Cadoc, who realized how inconvenient having one good arm was. Gondor had shaken off the corsairs and had ridden to Rohan, helping them drive the Dunlendings back. Tomorrow was the coronation; it was sad to leave so soon but he must. After placing a note on his former bedroll space in Edoras he went to wake Quirna.

Hair tumbled in a mess of knots, she slowly awoke. "Cadoc, what's going on? I'm still tired."

"I'm leaving tonight, he answered. "My time here is over."

"Oh, ok. Let me pack my things, not that I have much, and I will join you. Wait, why do you want to leave tonight? Fréaláf will be officially crowned king tomorrow, a spectacular event I would love to see!" She was a bit confused but glad he'd informed her of his plans.

"He plans to also honor the men who held the gates. I wish not for any. I have left my blessings. Besides the war is over."

"Cadoc, sweetheart, you deserve the honor! Not only are you my hero, but you are also Rohan's hero. However, I understand if you don't want a big deal made out of it. I will do whatever you want." She got up, blanket wrapped around her, and hugged him.

"Come with me to the clear waters of the Evendim. Why, perhaps I can show you the people that my race protects."

"That sounds so wonderful! But first, don't forget about Havens! He must be worried about us. We've left him for so long! I hope he's still at the Hornburg waiting for us. We can take him with us, right?"

"No, don't worry, we will stop by the Hornburg."  
He helped her carry her belongings to the stables.

As she walked beside him, a realization dawned on Quirna. "Cadoc!" she exclaimed. "We have spoken of our marriage, but we have never decided when or where! You know I have no family left so I leave that choice entirely up to you."

"Well, if you don't mind I would like my mentor to wed us." Cadoc said, buckling the saddle straps.

"I'm honored that you want that! He must be a special man to help you become the wonderful man that you are," she replied, swinging into the saddle after making sure Cadoc could make it by himself with his broken arm- not that he would let her help anyway!

"Yes he is." Cadoc vaulted, rather clumsily, onto Silver's back. They snuck past the gate guards by telling them that they were going for a ride. Once outside the gates they set off for the Hornburg.

As she felt the wind rush through her hair while they rode along, Quirna felt so carefree and happy but with a touch of remorse. "Cadoc, I feel bad about leaving without telling anyone, yet at the same time it is so wonderful to finally be free, to not have anyone waiting for us, not battles to fight, just the two of us out here in the wilderness."

"Yes." Cadoc smiled, "nothing but the stars to talk to."

They rode on unceasingly through the night then rested at dawn.

The rest of their trip was rather uneventful and spent in mostly companionable silence. They finally reached the Hornburg, where they were let in by two guards. Quirna rode Silky into the city, then dismounted, looking about for a certain little grey cat. "Havens!" she called. Almost immediately, a whizzing ball of gray fur catapulted itself towards her, and she bent down to have him jump on her lap. She eased the cat into her arms, crooning softly to him. "Havens, honey, did you miss us? We are taking you with us to Evendim! I have never been there, but Cadoc tells me it's a lovely place. I am sure we will both love it there." She kissed the kitty on the top of its head, glad to have her pet back.

Cadoc watched as Havens and Quirna reunited, smiling at the reunion.  
"Here place him in your saddle bag." he said when they returned, rubbing the cat's gray head. Once out of the Hornburg they cantered towards the Isen.

"So, how long will it take to get to Evendim?" Quirna asked as she looked at the scenery in the daylight for once.

"Two weeks if all goes well."

O-O

Back at Edoras, Dreawine knelt where Cadoc's bedroll once lay and picked up a small crumpled piece of paper. It read:

_Do not trust in those who bear gifts and profess loyalty. Do not listen to the lisping snake, for its words are poison.  
Eolred_

Below the signature was a drawing of a star.

"A Dúnedain," Dreawine breathed. He took the note to King then kept it to himself and passed it down to his posterity. And his descendants became great marshals and even later at the end of the Third Age, Éomer Eadig became king and a new set of mounds was raised at his death. But none forgot Eolred's words.

O-O

After a while, Quirna found the North-South Road on which they traveled to be rather boring; the scenery quite drab, was made up of mainly flatlands with a few trees hither and yon. However, as dusk set in so did an unforeseen danger. Wolves had been present in Eriador, through which they journeyed on their path, for many years, although they had decreased in number and tended to stay away from humans. A large grey wolf apparently had failed to read the memo, thus he stalked his prey as the couple and their cat rode towards the Shire. Once night fell and the twosome made camp for the night, the wolf crept closer. Silently working his way towards them, his paws made no noise on the grass. Once within five feet of the prone humans, he hunkered down then jumped towards them, emitting a fierce growl. Quirna screamed and drew her cutlass; she had never seen a wolf before, much less faced one. Holding her weapon in front of her, she made sure the beast was between herself and the fire. While she had never met one in real life, she had heard some fearful tales of them and knew wolves hated fire.

Cadoc grabbed a flaming brand from the fire and flung it at the wolf buying enough time to draw his sword. The wolf snarled and leapt back its hungry yellow eyes glowing. The man had a weakness; it perceived its left foreleg was limp. Growling it rushed.

Quirna screamed again and charged towards the beast, stabbing it in the process but not fully killing the foul creature.

Cadoc sword buried itself into the wolf's side as Quirna drove her sword into its head. He turned hastily searching the darkness. "Keep close; wolves rarely travel alone."

She took him quite literally and almost glued herself to his side. "What should we do now? Do we need to move on a bit?" she asked, rather concerned.

"Stay," he said after hesitating, "the fire will be needed."

She huddled close by his side, cutlass at the ready for more wolves. However, the fearsome growls she expected in the black night never came. After a while, she asked Cadoc, "Do you think we are safe now? I have not heard anything else."

"There seem to be no more wolves," Cadoc answered. "Go sleep. I will keep watch." He sat down by the fire and lit his pipe, soon smoke curled from its bowl.

"Are you sure it's safe? And what about you? You still have your broken arm!" Worry tinted her voice, over both the wolf and her true love.

"If more wolves come I will hear them," Cadoc smiled, "You need the sleep."

She came up to him and hugged him. "You are a treasure, sweetheart. You would think after living with corsairs for two years I would not be fazed by a lone wolf, but that was one of the most frightening things I have ever seen! I am not sure I will be able to sleep for a good while yet." Her heart still pounded rapidly from their close encounter, and Havens, sensing her need, curled around the couple and purred.

"Even the bravest tremble at the wolves but I have seen Wargs so wolves aren't as frightening."

"Whatever are Wargs? I do not think I have heard of them, but they sound terrifying!" Quirna shivered and snuggled closer to him, glad to have his strong presence beside her.

Cadoc sat in silence for a minute and at last slowly answered, "I was there 11 years ago. Orcs and Wargs, larger than wolves and fiercer. The Halflings aided us, and their leader won the battle."

"Oh my! I'm glad you made it out safely! But what are Halflings? They sound funny, yet I sense from your stoic demeanor that they are much more than they sound."

"They are the Hobbits, the little folk, such a brave, noble people. They are small even when full grown, the tallest are barely four feet tall, though not many of them are tall. They love their homes, good food and drink, but they love the earth. It is an honor to protect such a simple folk."

"Cadoc, will we get to meet them? You told me you protect a people but never said anything about it until now. I would so love to see their homes!" Now Quirna became even more awake.

"Perhaps. We Rangers do not visit the Hobbits much, they call us the Big Folk. But there are a few inns in Tookland that I visit and there are many Hobbits there." Cadoc shifted, sending out a long puff of smoke.

Quirna moved to massage his shoulders and back. "If you do not think they will like us to visit I will trust your judgement. However, I truly would enjoy meeting some of these hobbits! And staying in an inn sounds lovely. I have never done that before!"

Cadoc winced as she rubbed across a tight spot in his back. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down beside him again. "You need sleep."


	13. Chapter 13

_**Hi there! Are you reading this? This is one of your authors speaking! I just want to say that I see people are reading this but I don't see many reviews. Please review?**_

**12\. Fire &amp; Death**

The next day they rode on and the next. For many weeks they journeyed on through mountains, rivers, and fields. Finally they came to a great wood.

"This is new! Are we in the Shire yet?" Quirna pulled up beside Cadoc and took his hand, excitement showing in her voice.

"Nay; that is the Old Forest. We shall go around it. It is a wood full of hate."

"Why do you say that? I think it looks lovely, albeit a bit scary if you weren't here with me," she smiled flirtatiously at him.

"The wood is treacherous. They shift confusing and enchanting all who wander into it."

"Oh my! How strange and awful. I truly am glad you are with me." She kissed him gently. "So, how long before we see these hobbits? I am almost as excited about them as I am about finally marrying you!"

"We shall be at the "Dancing Rabbit" on the morrow." Cadoc said urging Silver forward.

Quirna laughed at the name. "Is that seriously what the inn is called?" Silky trotted alongside Silver, Havens protesting loudly in the saddlebag.

"Yes," Cadoc smirked, "their names are as funny as ours to them."

"Well, I suppose you are right." They rode on in companionable silence, stopping for one last night of camping. Late the next day, they finally entered the Shire and found the Inn of the Dancing Rabbit. Quirna squealed with joy when she saw the name.

As Cadoc dismounted, a Hobbit rounded the corner.

"Hallo Mr. Stomper come back from the outside world," he piped taking Silver and Silky.

"Yes Tom, I'm back."

The Hobbit led the horses to the inn glancing curiously at Quirna.

She smiled sweetly at the quaint creature. "Good evening! I'm Quirna, and we are headed back to Evendim to get married!" The chap seemed friendly enough and was quite a surprising sight. She expected the creatures to be short, but seeing them in person was much different than her imagination had told her. The fellow, rather rotund, had large and hairy feet with no shoes, but his face held a pleasant and homely glow; if all hobbits were like that, they must be rather interesting creatures indeed. She knew she could easily grow to love such a simple and yet complicated people.

"Well wishings to you and Mister Stomper then," Tom said then disappeared.

Quirna grabbed Cadoc's arm, smiling. "He's a nice wee fellow! I think I shall love hobbits. Are they all that wary of us humans? And why on earth does he call you Mr. Stomper?"

"Not all of them are suspicious of us but they are wary." Cadoc snorted, "They gave me that name because of the way my boots sound on their wooden floors. I rather liked it so the name has stuck."

She held him closer. "I like it too, sweetheart. That means I'll be Mrs. Stomper soon! Say, you know how the corsairs called me Finn, then when I was with the Rohirrim I was Eothain; I just wondered if you have more names I should know about, you know, for the different peoples you visit?"

"Well, in Gondor I'm known as Hallas and in Harad I'm called Na'man. You know my other names."

"Do they have any specific meanings?" she inquired as he led her inside the Dancing Rabbit.

"Well Hallas means "Ever thoughtful" and Na'man means "Bloody Handed"."

Although she wanted to ask about the second name, Cadoc had already begun to take her to the desk where the innkeeper waited to check them in.  
The inn was fairly busy. Hobbits rushed here and there and mugs of ale and plates of food buzzed by. The room smelled of pipeweed and wood smoke and Cadoc felt a sense of home in the place. He winced as his boots _clumped_ on the wood floor but quickly crossed to a small desk.

"Two rooms, Master Diggs," he said, placing coin on the desk.

The elderly Hobbit eyed the Ranger nervously and filled out a piece of paper.

"Master Diggs, I have a cat here, Havens; you won't mind if he stays in my room with me, will you?" Quirna asked sweetly, sad that the hobbits seemed so nervous around humans.

"No problem, miss!" Diggs chirped.

Cadoc led Quirna to a small table built for Big Folk. They ordered and soon two mugs of ale, a loaf of bread, and two steaming bowls of stew were brought.

"This looks delicious, Cadoc! Thank you for bringing me!" She smiled and dug into the meal, which proved much tastier than it looked. Hobbits truly were down-to-earth and homey in everything, something Quirna had missed for such a long time.

"You're welcome," he replied before eating.

The night grew long and it was time to retire. Cadoc's boots clumped as he ascended the stairs. He parted with Quirna then entered his room. The bed, though much different from the hard ground, was comforting. Sleep overtook him till dawn.

OoO

Quirna slept surprisingly well and when she woke up, she realized that she had not woken up even once during the night! Being with Cadoc, even if he could not yet share her bed, certainly helped her overcome her nightmares. Once the sun's first rays began to shine, she awoke and freshened up, then made her way to get some breakfast. Finding Cadoc already seated near the tallest hobbit she had seen, she smiled and sat down next to them. "Good morning!" she greeted both pleasantly, slipping Cadoc a quick kiss before turning to his Halfling friend. "I'm Quirna, soon to be Mrs. Stomper!"

Cadoc smiled, "And this, Quirna," he motioned to the Hobbit, "is Bullroarer Took, winner of the Battle of Greenfields."  
The Hobbit scoffed, "I only knocked an ugly head off its shoulder's, Stomper."

"'Tis a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Took! Will you tell me about your adventures?" The two shook hands, and she knew she was meeting a brave a loyal man, instantly liking him.

"Now Missy Quirna, I really didn't do that much. You see, these nasty orcs and wargs invaded our beautiful home and I was only trying to protect my family. We hobbits are a peaceful people but very loyal. In fact, I would do anything to make sure my family stays safe, which is what I did about eleven years ago now."  
Quirna was quite impressed. "Your Mr. Stomper here, he and his Ranger friends helped us out quite a bit. Those orcs are rather large even for a tall hobbit like myself; thankfully I was on horseback for most of the battle. It seemed to last a terribly long time, and then we finally won right as I swung my trusty club left and right near my foes, and I knocked the head off a large and ugly orc. It ended up in a hole, which thankfully had been long-since abandoned by whatever creature made it. I do believe that sums it up! I sure hope we never have to go through anything like that again!"

"Oh my! You certainly are brave. Thank you for sharing, Mr. Took. My Mr. Stomper here certainly is a valiant warrior like yourself. I am glad he was there to grant you aid." She squeezed Cadoc's hand.

"And, not only did he win the battle, but he invented a new game which is now played amongst the young Hobbits. What is it called?" Cadoc asked.  
"Well I think they are liking the name Golf from what I heard," Bullroarer said.

Quirna laughed, enjoying herself immensely. "My goodness! You hobbits certainly are far more than I expected! Thank you for sharing your story with me. Could you tell me more about the life of a hobbit?"

The famous Took gladly obliged, and the young lady found herself wishing she could stay in the Shire forever. If Evendim was even half as nice, she would be the happiest girl in the world, especially with her man faithfully by her side.

Cadoc quietly slipped away to saddle the two horses; two more days riding would bring them to Evendim.

Quirna reluctantly left her new friend when Cadoc came back to get her. "It was such a pleasure to speak with you, Mr. Took. Perhaps I can talk Mr. Stomper here into bringing me back to visit again once we're married!" She gave the startled hobbit a hug.

"I would like that. You both are welcome in my home at any time! And congratulations; you have yourself a fine fellow there."

"Thank you! Yes, I think he's rather fine myself. Goodbye!"

With that the couple left and continued their journey. As much as she hated to leave, she had to admit she was rather anxious to get married. Then a startling thought crossed her mind. "Cadoc! I don't have a wedding dress!" she exclaimed, feeling rather foolish to forget such an important detail.

"I'm sure my mentor's wife can help you with that. I rather like what you have on now." Cadoc smiled. "Keep your eyes on the lookout for a campsite. Tomorrow we shall reach Evendim."  
The smell of smoke drifted through the air and in the distance black smoke rose in the air.

"It's too dirty for that. What is going on up there?" She grabbed his arm, a bit frightened.

"I don't know, Cadoc said gravely, grabbing his bow with his freshly healed arm. "Leave the horses here. We can continue on foot."

"Alright." Quirna smiled, realizing Cadoc didn't even think about leaving her behind. She softly followed in his wake, cautiously looking around. Thankfully there were some trees, which provided a bit of cover from any unknown foes. Cadoc stopped suddenly and cautiously crouched behind a tree, and Quirna followed his example. He silently pointed and she saw a score of the ugliest beasts she had ever seen, even more than the Dunlendings she had face weeks ago.

"Orcs," Cadoc whispered.  
A man lay on the ground, his head laying in a woman's lap. A screaming boy cowered behind his mother, who yelled curses at the cackling orcs. Cadoc raised his bow and notched an arrow. A large orc raised its cruel sword aiming it at the woman's head.

Zip! The orc toppled down surprise etched on its now dead face. The woman retreated hastily from the others.

Quirna silently drew her cutlass, ready to fight any more of the foul creatures that might be lurking about. She leaned in close to her man, compassion filling her soul, and whispered in his ear, "We have to help these people!"

Cadoc sent two more arrows into the rabble before jumping out from behind his cover. "Stay by me!" he shouted at Quirna.

The woman cheered for their unexpected help. The orcs screeched and hissed banging their shields and swords together.  
"Edain! Edain!" Cadoc cried slicing the first orc in half.

Charging forth, cutlass in hand, Quirna gladly stayed close to Cadoc, knowing she would be safe with him near. She slashed out at the orcs, killing first one and then another. She had grown rather used to being with the Rohirrim and adopted their war cry of, "Forth Eorlingas!", even if so far there were only two on her side. The orcs proved to be about the same as the Dunlendings, large and fearsome warriors.

Cadoc's sword flashed in the growing fire swirling into the house. He slung the orc into the fire before ducking avoiding a crude blade. Suddenly there was the deadly song of bowstrings and half a dozen hooded figures rushed in. The house shook and the woman cried, "My baby is in there!"  
Without hesitation Cadoc dropped his bloody sword, leapt over the burning threshold, and disappeared into the smoke.

Quirna instinctively knew the newcomers were more Rangers and fought by their sides to kill the remaining orcs. Then she noticed Cadoc run into the burning building! "No! Cadoc! Come back!" she cried, completely terrified and no longer thinking of anything except her Ranger. Instantly her mind flashed back to that fateful night when her parents died. Must her one true love die in the same manner? She tried to run to him, but a Ranger stopped her.

"He will be fine; he's done this before!" However, such words only added to Quirna's fear.

Cadoc crawled hastily through the house. The red greedy tongues of fire licked at the thatched roof and smoke clogged the air. Then, the wailing of a baby snug in her cradle broke through the crackling of the fire's devouring jaws. Cadoc swiftly found the cradle and grabbed the little babe and tucked her close. He rolled carefully to the back of the house just as the roof caved in.

Heart pounding uncontrollably, Quirna watched in as the house started falling apart, its structural integrity weakened by the fire. As the roof caved in, she screamed and tried to run to the house. "Cadoc! No!" A Ranger held her back and she struggled against him, sobbing hysterically. Her legs gave way beneath her and she would have fallen had not the Ranger been there. Her heart fell to the pit of her stomach and felt as though it had been wrenched in two. All she could think about was how she was unable to stop yet another death.

Moments of silence followed except for the sobbings of Quirna and the woman. The house groaned and piece by piece the burning roof fell sparks showing brightly in the darkening sky.

"My child my child," the woman wept hugging her little boy.

The Ranger held Quirna as she sank despairingly into the dirt. He glanced hopefully at the crumbled house; it had never taken Cadoc this long before. Slowly he bowed his head in sorrow the other Ranger's following his example. One of them retrieved Cadoc's former sword and stuck it into the ground. The fire grew low and only glowing embers remained. Some of the Rangers tended to the woman's husband whose wounds were not too bad. The Ranger holding Quirna spoke softly.

"I knew the boy well."

_**Note from the authors: OoO We killed Cadoc? What were we thinking? How is this story going to work? Leave a review if you wish to find out!  
**_


	14. Chapter 14

_***Clears throat* Where did my readers go? I never did get the five reviews I asked for...Please tell me if this story is that bad! My coauthor has informed me that she will reveal herself when we are up to 15 reviews. We have eight as of now so that means only seven more. PM me if you wish, or leave a review. Reviews boost my spirits considerably, as they do for my coauthor. Quirna is mine so if the problem is her, tell me please!**_

**13\. Beginning Again**

"Knew?" came a rough voice. "Giving up on me already?" Cadoc stepped from the shadows and gave the woman the unconscious baby. "I really like back doors, much easier than jumping through burning pieces of roof."

"Cadoc!" Quirna cried and raced to him. She pulled him down to her level and kissed him fervently. She started crying all over again. "Cadoc, sweetheart, I was so afraid I'd lost you! And then your friend here told me you'd done this before! Do you have any idea how worried I was?" She pressed her lips to his again and held onto him like she would never let him go.

"I told you," Cadoc sputtered wiping the soot from his lips, "not even dragon fire could catch me." He returned the kiss but was distracted by a firm hand on his shoulder. "James!" he cried clasping his mentor's hand. "Meet my soon to be wife Quirna!"

Quirna smiled, still holding onto Cadoc, not caring that she would smell like smoke and ashes too. "Good day! You must be the mentor Cadoc has told me so much about." She took the hand he presented, Cadoc caught in her grasp on the other side.

"Nice to meet you! I can tell you really love Cadoc. He's a good warrior; you don't need to worry about him."

"Thank you! I think so myself!" She nuzzled Cadoc's nose affectionately and couldn't help but kiss him once more. _Oh dear_, she thought, _I wonder if I embarrass him by kissing him in front of others like this?_

"Cadoc told me a while back that he'd like to have you perform our wedding ceremony, and that's why we waited until we could get back to Evendim. Would you mind? I know I would be greatly honored," she addressed James, glad to finally meet the man who made her true love who he was now.

"I'd be glad to," James said.

"Cadoc!" A young Ranger walked up and handed Cadoc's sword back to him.

"Mathias!" Cadoc exclaimed, taking the sword.

"Who's this?" Mathias asked, gesturing to Quirna.

"Quirna, my fiancée." Cadoc answered with a proud grin.

"Why good for you, lucky fellow. You go to war and return with a girl and I go on a patrol and get a limp. Maybe I should go to Rohan," the young ranger teased. "Good to meet you, Quirna."

"'Tis a pleasure to meet you as well! I'm actually from South Gondor, but I don't recommend going there. There a few people these days, except perhaps some corsairs." She turned to James, "I hear your wife can help me with a wedding dress?"

He smiled at her. "I'm sure she would enjoy that greatly."

"Thank you!"

Several hours later, they made a makeshift shelter for everyone and settled down for the night. Quirna took the Ranger aside in the dark, knowing she needed to ask an important question. "Cadoc, sweetheart, I realized while I was kissing you today that I have never asked if it embarrasses you to kiss in public like that." She squeezed his hand as she gazed up at him, her joy at having him safe and sound gleaming in her eyes.

"No, dearest!" Cadoc laughed. "I only am aware of you when we kiss."

"Good, because I don't think I can stop!" She laughed as well and pulled him down to her level for a private kiss, long, sweet, and passionate. They shared a few more minutes alone, then wandered back to the camp to rest for the night. However, Quirna's excitement over being so close to her new home threatened to prevent a good night's sleep.

Once she finally closed her eyes, she had another nightmare about Cadoc and the fire, but it was not as severe as her previous ones. Perhaps she would overcome her fear one day, or at least be able to manage it better.

The next morning, they saddled their noble steeds and headed towards Evendim. James and some of the other Rangers joined them, making for a merry little party.

Talk, though never serious, floated around the company. Mathias had skillfully drawn Cadoc aside to talk of adventures leaving Quirna alone with James.  
"So where did you meet Cadoc?"

Suddenly feeling shy and insecure, Quirna hesitated before answering. "I was going to join the Rohirrim, so we met at the Fords of Isen. He's told me so much about you; he said you are the reason he's the man he is today. Thank you for mentoring him. You already know I love him quite dearly!"

"He is a good man. I only pushed him in the right direction."

Cadoc, breaking from the conversation, pulled Silver back siding up against Silky. "Look," he said, leaning over, "There she is: Lake Evendim."

"Cadoc, it's beautiful!" she grabbed his hand. "How far are we from your farm?"

A clear blue lake stretched out outlined by the distant mountains behind it. Thin curls of smoke drifted up into the air from farmhouses and the far-away voices, barks, brays, neighs, and calls could be faintly heard.

"My farm is about a day's ride from Evendim to the North," he replied pointing at the low hills.

"I can hardly wait to get there! If it's as beautiful as this, I know I shall love it." She leaned in closer and softly spoke into his ear, "James asked about how we met. I told him about our first meeting but nothing else. Thank you for saving me! I'll tell him if you want him to know, but I would prefer to keep my past a secret, if that would please you." She gave him a worried look.

"If you prefer to keep it secret I do not mind," he whispered back.

She gently laid her lips on his. "Thank you, sweetheart. I love you! I certainly would rather we keep my past to ourselves. I'm so glad you understand."

"No problem," Cadoc said.

The party reached the bottom of the valley in which Lake Evendim was situated. A few trees dotted the lakeside and the tired party let their horses drink. News of their arrival spread through the village and women and children ran out to meet them.

Quirna noticed a lovely lady who appeared to be middle-aged joyfully reunite with James. "James! You've come home!" The woman kissed him passionately, then observed the party. She walked closer to Quirna, and James introduced them. "Quirna, this is my wife Damaris. Damaris, my love, this is Quirna. She's Cadoc's new fiancée."

Damaris' mirth showed through her entire being. She took Quirna's hand. "'Tis a pleasure to meet you!"

"Thank you! I was told you can help me with a wedding dress?"

"I'd be delighted! I have been waiting for our Cadoc to find a nice young lady like yourself; he's like a son to us, and I know we will have a special place for you in our hearts as well."

The womenfolk chatted about all sorts of female things, which made James smile. Quirna instantly knew she would like this soft-spoken woman. Not only was she beautiful for her age (which Quirna guessed to be around 55, although in actuality Damaris was only three years younger than her husband at 107), her inward beauty showed through; perhaps Damaris could supplement the mother she'd lost almost three years ago.

Cadoc, after securing Quirna with James and Damaris, mounted Silver and rode to his farm to prepare for his bride. He chopped fresh wood and cleaned the house, cleared the weeds and limbs, and cared for the surprise he had found on his arrival.

Quirna did not like having to leave Cadoc's side, but she knew it would be rather inappropriate for them to stay together at his farm without being married. She enjoyed staying with James and Damaris, who quickly became like second parents to her or even grandparents. The village had a nice fabric shop, and she chose a simple brown design, durable yet pretty. She and Damaris made short work of creating her wedding dress from it, as well as replenishing her wardrobe with more feminine wear.

How she had missed female companionship! It felt like ages since she was home with her mother, chatting about everything under the sun. She pondered this one day while working on her outfits, mainly putting the finishing touches on her wedding gown. Damaris noticed and decided to question her. "Quirna, you look so pensive today. Is something wrong?"

She took a deep breath. "I was just remembering my mother." She stayed silent for a moment while the older woman patiently waited, then continued sadly, "She and my father died in a house fire almost three years ago. That is why I panicked when Cadoc went in that house to save the baby. I thought I would lose yet another person I truly love."

Damaris came by and hugged her gently. "I am so sorry. I am sure you tried your best with your parents. And Cadoc is quite experienced at rescuing people from the flames; James and I both have witnessed it on several occasions. He's tough and you shouldn't worry so much about him."

Quirna sniffed and tried to keep the tears from falling. "I know. I am seeing it more and more. Must I always worry about him so much?"

"My dear, we will always worry about our men! The secret is to not let the worries consume us. Even though every time James leaves me I know in the back of my mind he may not return, I try to recall the former times he has come back to me safely. I do not dwell on losing him but rather look forward to how sweet his kisses will be when I finally see him again."

The younger woman took these words to heart.

Several days later, Quirna walked to the edge of the village, hoping to see Cadoc. She was rewarded by seeing him astride Silver, trotting her way. Running out to meet him, she joyfully shouted his name, "Cadoc! I missed you so much!"

Cadoc dismounted and pulled Quirna into a warm embrace. "And I missed you," he said, pulling of his gloves.

"My wedding dress is ready! When can we finally get married?" She was so excited to have him back, and she was ready to make their union official.

"In two days' time," he replied, "by the shores of Evendim." They entered the village hand in hand where they were greeted by James and Damaris. The days passed slowly, most of which Cadoc spent talking with James, but the quiet evenings were spent with Quirna. Finally the day arrived.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Note: Please review! Please? Reviews make me extremely happy! They make my coauthor happy too. I still need seven more reviews before my elusive coauthor reveals herself. Do not let this be an unsolved mystery because there are three more stories to go when this one is finished!**_

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**14\. Home**

Damaris fussed around Quirna, who had a hard time staying still due to her excitement. Her hair proved to be the most difficult. About shoulder length, it was just short enough to give trouble to the pins with which Damaris tried to contain it. She finally tugged it into a French braid and completed the look with a tiara of daisies.

A couple of hours later, the nerves came to her as well. Her stomach flip-flopped inside her, making her a bit queasy as she realized her life would change for forever in just a matter of minutes. "Damaris, I feel so sick now; is that normal?"

The older woman smiled fondly, recalling her own sweet wedding day. "Yes, dear. It is good for you to be a bit nervous; that means you truly love him." She produced a wet cloth and gently wiped Quirna's brow, then made sure she looked presentable. "There. Now focus on the love you will see in Cadoc's eyes when you walk to him!"

"Thank you! I will certainly miss staying with you and James, but I am ready to have my own home." The women embraced, then James knocked at the door.

"Are you ready?"

His wife opened the door and they both stepped out. "I think so," Quirna answered timidly.

"You look beautiful!" James' remark made Quirna blush as she took his arm; he would present her to her true love. They walked silently down to the river banks, where Cadoc already awaited their arrival. The music started and all the village people turned to look at Quirna. She then realized she hated to be the center of attention, but thankfully that was not something that would happen often, so she decided to take it all in stride. Besides, her love for Cadoc helped her focus on only him instead of the crowd gazing at her. She finally made it to his side and James took his place behind them. Grabbing both his hands, she looked deeply into the younger Ranger's eyes, her love radiating from their emerald depths.

Cadoc watched spellbound as Quirna walked gracefully down the path. Not even the elven queen, Galadriel, could rival his bride in beauty now. Her hands clasped his and their eyes locked, his deep brown and her emerald deeps riveted. The traditional wedding pronouncement was chanted by James, but Cadoc heard none of it, well, only the last few words.

"Now you may seal your marriage with a kiss."

Cadoc bent down, brushing a piece of Quirna's stray golden locks from her face. He kissed her dipping her backwards then picking her up without breaking the kiss. He turned, breaking away regretfully, and faced the village crowd who cheered and shouted as he walked back up the path. He kissed her again before swinging her onto Silver's back; Silky snorted reprovingly. They rode off to their farm, not stopping for the night but riding on. Soon the smooth plains turned to hills and up and down they rode till the sun was high in the sky. They reined in at the front of a small farmhouse. Cadoc tended to the horses and Quirna started the fire again.

"Come here, Quirna; I have something to show you," Cadoc said, peeping into the house. He led her into the small stable and opened a stall. There a palomino mare stood over a small silver colt. "This is Silver's wife and son," Cadoc proclaimed proudly, "he was born when I was gone. A good thing my nearest neighbor took them in."

"Oh, Cadoc! How precious! What are their names?" she asked excitedly, already impressed at her new home. She linked her fingers within his and leaned against his strong body, soaking in his masculine smell and muscles hardened and toned from years of hard work and battles. They gazed at the beautiful creatures, and she felt a homey warmth in her heart she had not felt since her childhood.

"Well the mare is Goldlock and this little foal I thought you would like to name," Cadoc said, shifting to allow Quirna a full view.

She timidly approached the pair, being careful not to scare the horses. She patted the foal on the head. "How about Lakeside? Since we are not too far from Evendim Lake, and he's silvery like the lake in the moonlight." Havens approached and meowed, so she petted him as well; Cadoc had taken him with him to prepare the farm so that the cat would not become used to the village of Lake Evendim.

"That sounds like a good name," Cadoc said.

Havens weaved in and out of Quirna's legs demanding attention. She picked him up and together they walked back into the house. The sun began to set in a pool of rich colors. Night fell and a thin silvery moon rose into the sky.

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_**Note: I just now figured out how to add these lines! Someone is technologically challenged over here...**_


	16. Chapter 16

_**Note: Reviews still make me happy! Please?**_

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**15\. A Mission**

_Five Years Later_

Cadoc talked encouragingly to the two horses as they strained to plow the field. The sun beamed down mercilessly and both man and beast were drenched in sweat. He stopped resting the horses and shaded his eyes with one hand. A lone figure walked swiftly up the hill, her skirts billowing in the wind. Relieved, he patted the two horses and went down to meet Quirna.

"I brought you some water, sweetheart," she said as she held out a bucket and dipper. "How are things going? Our field looks so lovely already!"

"Daddy!" little almost three-year old Hlísa screamed as her mother lowered her off her hip.  
"Hey, sweetie," Cadoc said, looking at his daughter while taking a drink. "I needed this, thank you."

Quirna smiled at the precious exchange between father and daughter. "I know, sweetheart. Is there anything else us ladies can do?"

"Give me some kisses," Cadoc said, swinging Hlísa up. He planted a kiss on her forehead then leaned over to kiss his wife.

"That's something I'll do any time!" She passionately kissed him, then nuzzled his nose and kissed him again. "I love you, Cadoc."

"Well I'd better get back to work." Cadoc sighed, setting Hlísa down. "Thank you for the water and kisses."

Quirna sneaked one more quick kiss. "You're welcome. Do you need anything else?" How she hated to leave him, even if there were plenty of things to do back at their farmhouse!

"No." Cadoc watched as Quirna and Hlísa walked back to the house. Then he turned back to the plow. "Hiiyup!" he called to the horses.

Mother and daughter walked back inside the house and set the bucket and dipper back down. "Come on, Hlísa, we need to fix some food for your daddy. He will be hungry when he's done!" She set to work fixing the meal, which would be fresh bread and cold chicken, along with some dried veggies from last year's garden. Once everything was heating, she laid Hlísa down for a nap and brought out some sewing. She truly enjoyed being a farm girl again, despite the early mornings, and having a child was the best thing that had happened since meeting Cadoc.

Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door. She placed her sewing on the table and answered. A young Ranger stood there; she remembered his name was Mathias, a friend of Cadoc's. "Good day, Quirna! Is Cadoc here?"

"Yes, he's out plowing the field. Is something wrong?"

The young man looked away, recalling how clingy she had been in the past. "I believe I'll go speak with Cadoc first, if you don't mind."

"Alright. Do you need anything to eat or drink first?" curious as she was, she'd been married to a Ranger long enough to realize their mysterious ways and simply go with the flow.

"No thank you," he replied and headed towards the field.

Cadoc dug a rock out of the field and threw it over to the side then checked the plow where it had hit the rock. A lone rider appeared over the hill and galloped quickly towards him.

"Hallo Cadoc!"

"Greetings Mathias! What brings you to these parts?"

Mathias dismounted and led his horse over to the sweat and mud plastered man.

"The chieftain sent me here to tell you that he needs you to investigate slave trading in Harad."

"Well, my break is over," Cadoc smiled. "Slave trading. When do I leave?"

"As soon as possible."

"Okay, I will tell Quirna."

"Oh, I'm supposed to give you this." Mathias said, tossing Cadoc a clay container.

"Ugh. I hate this stuff." Cadoc sniffed.

"Me too, but it is the only way to darken our skin and hair. Good luck Cadoc!"

"You are leaving?"

"Yes I have some more messages for other districts."

"Can you not stay the night?"

"I'm afraid not." Mathias sighed.

The Ranger mounted his horse and took off to the West. Cadoc kicked a small rock and looked disheartened at his field, almost plowed no seed laid in it's warm dirt.

"Well I will start tomorrow morning," he sighed. "I will finish the field tonight." The day wore on and Cadoc returned to his home at dusk.

Quirna and Hlísa met Cadoc as he came in and shook off the dust. She stretched up and kissed him. "Supper is ready whenever you want it. Did Mathias find you? He stopped by the house after Hlísa and I returned."

Cadoc smelled the warm goodness of home realizing it would be the last time for some months. "I will have it now," he smiled, "we can talk over it." He lifted Hlísa into a chair then washed his begrimed hands in a bucket of water before sitting at the table.

Quirna busied herself getting supper on the table while Cadoc kept Hlísa occupied. Then she sat down as well and clasped his hand for a brief moment. She decided to let him tell her the news in his own time, knowing he hated to be rushed.

Cadoc ate in silence for some time before beginning. "I've been assigned a mission…"

Quirna's face visibly fell, as hard as she tried to hide it. "Where do you need to go, and when do you leave?" she asked, voice surprisingly relatively calm and level.

"To Harad, to visit a slave market and disperse it. As soon as possible, tomorrow morning to be exact."

"That is near where I grew up! You'll be gone so long. But I've expected this day for the past five years. Promise me you'll be careful?" She knew better than to argue with him or try to stop him from going.

"I will," he said, squeezing her hand.

Hlísa was falling asleep in her chair. Gently Cadoc lifted her and laid her on the small bed by their own. He returned to the table and pulled his chair closer to her own.

Instead of sitting beside him, she curled up in his lap to cuddle. He held her in silence for some time, and she eagerly soaked in his masculinity, knowing full well this could be their last night together.

Cadoc pulled her closer, relishing the night. "It shouldn't be hard to put the slave trade to an end."

"I hope not. I'll miss you so much!" She kissed him tenderly. "I'll take care of the farm while you're gone, and I'm sure our neighbors will help. Can I help you pack anything?" Running her hands through his hair, she memorized his features so they would be even more firmly planted into her memory.

"I'll be back as soon as I can. Let the neighbors handle the fields. No, most of my disguise will go on before I reach Harad."

"Sweetheart, the neighbors can help me but I will do all I can! And what's this about a disguise?" she looked a bit alarmed as she wondered what kind of mission this would be.

Cadoc pulled out the pot of dye. "I just need to darken my skin and hair and throw some robes on to blend in with the natives."

"What? Are you sure that it's safe?" she took the pot and sniffed the disgusting-looking substance, then made a face.

"Yes. I've done this before." He laughed at the face she made. "What's worse is getting it off…grease and ashes then lots of soap."

Cadoc noticed that she was dozing off so he picked her up gently and laid her down in their bed. After sliding his boots off he crawled in beside her. As she lay awake, snuggled safely in Cadoc's strong arms, Quirna contemplated a serious matter. Now certain she was about two months into her second pregnancy, she decided not to tell her husband. It would only make his departure that much harder on both of them. Besides, what fun it would be to surprise him when he returned!

Unfortunately, she did not sleep well the rest of the night. She had not experienced a nightmare for the entire five years she'd been married, but her worry over her husband's trip brought back the terrible memories. She thrashed about as the dreadful dream recurred with Cadoc in the flames instead of her parents. As the house was about to cave in, she awoke with a start, sitting straight up in bed, heart pounding so hard she thought it would fly from her chest. Then a chill swept over her as her sweaty body met with the cool night air.

"Honey wake up!" Cadoc called from a distance it seemed. "What is wrong?"

Snapping back to reality, Quirna turned to her husband. "Just a nightmare," she managed to get out as her nerves slowly calmed. "I'm sorry I woke you. You really need your sleep." She felt so bad that her fear had caused her precious husband to wake up! Why did this have to happen tonight instead of while he was gone?

"What is wrong?" he asked again. "Was it the one with the fire?"

"Yes. I haven't had it since we were wed, and now tonight, of all nights..." she let her voice trail off as his arms closed around her protectively.

"I will be safe." Cadoc said softly, "there is no need to worry about me. I have been through…five fires…and I am still here. Besides the only fire in Harad is the sun, and I'm already dreading it." He wiped a hand over his head in mock heat. "I think I will go under the name Na'man again." he thought aloud.

"I know. I trust you, sweetheart. I am just worried that you will get injured again and I suppose I fear another woman caring for you. If that happens, I do not want to hear about it! And Na'man is nice; did you tell me about that name?"

"There will be no other women." Cadoc assured. "Besides I wouldn't let one touch me…they stink like sheep and care for their wounded like cows. Yes I've used it before."

"Good! Because I'd probably have to kill her! I guess I never ventured far enough from the house to meet the natives, since Mother and I had to do the majority of the work on our farm." Her nerves finally calmed some, and she knew deep in her heart that Cadoc truly would be fine and return to her safely.

"Tell me how you got the name," she yawned.

"Well," Cadoc smiled, "it is a very silly story actually. I was bargaining with a horse breeder in one of their inns and the thief kept raising the price when I thought he was lowering it. When it came around to paying I finally realized my mistake. Then everything happened at once and I ended up breaking the horse-breeder's nose and getting blood all over my fists. I rode off with the horse, leaving the appropriate sum of course, and left the unfortunate breeder in the inn's floor calling for one of those desert drinks. I heard the men calling me Na'man as I left, which means 'bloody fisted' so I took the name. Silver has accompanied me ever since, though he and I both can't stand bargainers."

Quirna laughed, "So that is where you got him! I knew he looked different than our horses."

"Yes he is half Rohirrim stock and half desert stuff. He didn't like our cold rainy weather so much the first few years but he has adapted."

Quirna yawned again and snuggled back down in the bed. Cadoc laid down and fell asleep again. The night passed quickly and too soon he was standing next to his horse with a few days' worth of meals in his pack. Quirna snaked her arms around Cadoc and hugged him as hard as she could. Then she stretched up and kissed him for all she was worth, letting her lips say the words of love that caught in her throat as she bravely tried to hold back the tears. Letting him see her sorrow would only make the time worse for both of them. That little sliver of doubt and fear surfaced from the back of her mind and she tried desperately to push it away as she bid her man goodbye. She gently brushed the back of her hand across his face as her eyes soaked in his handsome features. Her lips fervently met his again, unwilling to let him go yet knowing he had his duties. Her stomach flip-flopped at the prospect of his leaving, never to return, but she fought her fears again, telling herself he would be fine.

Cadoc mounted after giving his daughter her goodbye and turned Silver's head Southwest.  
"When ill daddy tome back?" Hlísa asked innocently, only remembering her father's village trips.

Forcing the tears back until Cadoc disappeared, Quirna had trouble answering her daughter through the huge lump that formed in her throat. "I do not know, sweetie. But he will come back as soon as he can. And we will have a surprise for him when he returns!" Hlísa wasn't exactly sure what that meant, being only two-and-a-half, but her mother's answer seemed to satisfy her for the time being. The pair went back inside and cleaned up the breakfast dishes, then got to work on the farm. Quirna felt today would be one of the longest days of her life, followed by even more like it.

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Quirna cared for the farm, with the help of the neighbors, while Cadoc was away. She planted the crops in all the fields Cadoc had plowed, thankful he had been able to finish the hard work before he left. As her pregnancy progressed, she had to ask for more help from her new friends, who quite willingly pitched in. Cadoc and Quirna both had been good about helping all those around them, so everyone was glad to return the favor, as much as Quirna hated to ask for help. In fact, they began to call her the Golden Flower of the South because few people in those parts had her luxurious flaxen locks, which had grown quite long in the past five years. Also, she enjoyed helping people and they found her to be a bright spot in their lives, like a flower on a rainy day cheers a person immensely. Thus everyone was more than happy to yield their assistance.

As her belly grew with the child inside, Hlísa became fascinated with it.

"Mommy, big!" she pointed.

The mother laughed. "Yes, sweetie. Mommy has a new brother or sister for you in here, perhaps both! I was never this big with you," she mused mostly to herself. Then the baby kicked, so Quirna gently placed her daughter's hand on her stomach. "Feel this; the baby is kicking me!"

Hlísa laughed with joy. "Moves, Mommy!"

Quirna smiled. "Yes, honey, it moves! Daddy will be surprised when he gets back!" Her smile faded to a frown as their daughter sighed and hugged her. "Daddy."

"I know, I miss him too. But he promised us he will come back!" Mother and daughter embraced and both shed some tears. He had been gone for five months now, and as the days grew colder she missed his warmth beside her at night even more. Not to mention being seven months into her second pregnancy made her long for him even more However, she looked forward to his kisses when he came back, as well as the surprise of their children. She suspected she would have to go through the birth alone and that their new child might be even a few months old when Cadoc finally came back. So she decided to ask Damaris to stay with her for the last month or so of her pregnancy, thinking the older woman might be lonely as well.

Damaris readily agreed to stay with Quirna and Hlísa. James was also away on a mission and the older woman was thrilled at the prospect of helping the younger with the housework and getting ready for the birth of her next child. She came about a month and a half before the baby was due and proved to be a tremendous help in every way.

On morning, Quirna planned to get up and fix breakfast, but Damaris came over as she struggled to get out of bed. "Rest, dear one, and I will care for our breakfast and Hlísa. I know how important it is to get your sleep!"

"Thank you, Damaris. I have no idea how I am going to get along without you when you leave!"

She laughed in response. "Hopefully our men will be back then. I am sure both of us will want them all to ourselves so you shall be glad to have me gone!"

Quirna giggled and laid back down. "Yes, I do believe so." She slowly nodded off to sleep; this pregnancy had taken its toll on her, but she thought it was more to do with her husband's absence than the baby. In fact, she had never experienced any morning sickness like she did with Hlísa. That fact brought her great comfort because it would have tortured her soul even more to not have her Ranger there to gently bathe her brow and hold her hair back. Sometimes she would feel so weak that he would silently scoop her up and gently lay her back in their bed, then give her some water and tuck her in to rest.

After Damaris had been there several weeks, Quirna felt her first contractions. "Damaris, I think it will be time soon! Could you take Hlísa to the neighbor's for me?"

"Yes! Will you be alright here by yourself?"

"Of course! You won't be gone that long, and it will be a while before my baby arrives."

"I will be back as soon as I can!" Turning to the three-year-old, the older woman took her hand. "Come, sweetie, you will have a little adventure! You get to spend the night with the neighbors. I heard they have kittens!"

The child giggled with glee and ran to her mother, giving her a big hug. "Bye, Mommy!"

"Bye, honey. I'll see you tomorrow!" With that the two left and Quirna laid down, suddenly feeling tired and missing Cadoc terribly. When she had their daughter, he had been there the whole time. He bathed her sweaty brow so tenderly and let her squeeze his hand when the contractions came. But this time, it would be just her and Damaris.

The next day, Quirna laid beside her beautiful new son. He had a little tuft of dark hair and took after his father's grim yet handsome appearance. She named him Galad and knew he would be like his father, a fearsome warrior yet compassionate and caring man.


	17. Chapter 17

**16: Back Again**

Damaris proved to be a great help in the first two months of Galad's life. It was so much easier to have a second pair of hands to help with the farmwork, meal preparation, and of course caring for the children. Then the older woman returned to her home, satisfied that Quirna could get along by herself and anxious to be home for the return of her own husband. Two days after she left, a terrible storm brewed all afternoon and let out its full torrents in the last light of the day. Galad became terribly fussy and Hlísa tried to ignore his cries while Quirna attempted to comfort the shrieking baby.

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Rain soaked him through and through and he stumbled, not from any physical wound, but from the weariness that dragged him down. In his hands he held a small bundle, not as soaked for he had protected it under his cloak. Sheets of blinding rain made it almost impossible for him to see his way to the stables to bed and feed his horse. Then, staggering, he made his way to the house, a lone candle shimmering in the small window. He opened the door and stepped inside, standing there dripping cold water. Then with a hoarse cry he walked hastily across the room and knelt in front of Quirna. It was Cadoc, whose grim face seemed older and more tired than ever before.

She could never explain the rush of joy she felt when she saw his face again after ever so long; it was like her heart was about to burst with joy and she felt almost overcome with the thrill. "Cadoc!" she cried happily and covered his face in kisses while balancing the still-bawling Galad. Hlísa cried out with joy. "Daddy! You home!" She ran to her father, hugging his free arm tightly. He pulled back from Quirna to place a gentle kiss on his daughter's forehead, then permitted his wife continue showing her love. His lips were so dry and chapped against hers, but she didn't care. He was finally home!

"Quirna," he said through a strangled voice. He let her kiss him for some time before allowing his attention to wander around. "Who is this?" he asked, caressing the little crying boy's cheek.

"This is your surprise! Remember how you had a surprise for me when we first came here? Well, this is yours. Meet our son, Galad!" She placed the baby in her husband's arms and smiled. Then her expression changed. "I hope you are not angry that I didn't tell you. I had planned to, but then you were called away on a mission..." her voice trailed off nervously as she gazed into his dark eyes.

"Never!" he exclaimed, holding his son. He soaked in every detail, and gradually years faded from his brow. The tiny family huddled together.

"Sweetheart, you should probably get some dry clothes on. There's soup on the back of the stove if you're hungry; our son was too fussy for me to put it away yet. I missed you so much," she tenderly traced his jaw and kissed him again.

"I just need to rest," he murmured staggering to the bed after handing Galad back to Quirna.

Quirna laid the baby in his cradle and went to Cadoc's side. She tenderly felt his forehead. Feeling no fever, she eased his boots off and got him a dry outfit, then forced him to put it on. After that she gently tucked him into bed. "I will try to calm our son as much as possible so you can sleep. You look so exhausted, sweetheart."

"I need to go early tomorrow to tell our chieftain of what happened." He lay down closing his eyes. Hlísa crawled up beside Cadoc and curled up beside her father.

"Cadoc, you are not going anywhere until you've had a good day's rest, perhaps ever two! The news can wait. I cannot have you getting sick on me when you've only just gotten back!" With that Quirna allowed him to sleep and finally crawled in next to him and their daughter; she didn't have the heart to make her sleep in her own bed tonight. The next morning, Cadoc tried to get up but she pushed him back under the covers. "Sweetheart, please stay here and rest. You can take the news tomorrow." Her eyes pleaded with him as she gazed at him.

"No," he protested, opening his eyes, "everything went wrong…I only managed to break up communications for a time. Our chieftain needs to know. I should have gone straight there but I wanted to see my family. Please."

"You could hardly walk when you came in here last night! One more day won't hurt anything. Even if things did not go as planned, you will always be my hero, whom I missed desperately. Please, sweetheart, the rest will do you good. On your next mission, you will have to take better care of yourself." She kissed him to butter him up, and to satisfy her own need to touch him again.

"I can rest when I get back," he replied stubbornly reaching for his boots. He put them on despite her protests.

"Cadoc, quit being so stubborn! I cannot allow you to go! Besides, don't you want to get to know your sons, now that they've finally rested up? They usually aren't so fussy; it was just the storm last night." _Why does he have to be so much bigger than me? How am I supposed to stop him? And I really don't want him out of my sight just yet..._ This was one of the few arguments they had throughout their married life; normally Quirna submitted to Cadoc's authority, but today she was not sure she would even have to worry about that if he were to get out being that exhausted.

"If you want me to stay you must find someone to take the message in my stead." Cadoc replied. He raised his hand, trying to hold it steady, but it shook, from lack of food and rest. He quickly concealed it.

His exhaustion did not escape his wife's eagle eyes. "Alright. If you can make sure the baby is fine, I will run down the neighbor's. Surely someone can take your message!" She tenderly brushed his brow and gave him some breakfast in bed, then laid their son beside him. Putting on her shawl, she slipped down to the neighbor's house, which thankfully was not far away. As it was wintertime, little work needed to be done and the man readily agreed to take the message. She brought him back to their house so Cadoc could make sure he had everything straight.

"Tell our chieftain that things are worse than we thought." Cadoc explained. "The ships have found water in the dessert and were sparring peacefully. Na'man separated the duelers but not for long."

He thought for a moment. "Don't tell this to anyone except the chieftain."

"I will guard your words with my life! Now get some rest; you look terrible!" the man replied, a bit cheeky.

"Thanks…everyone keeps telling me that." Cadoc sighed.

Quirna escorted their good neighbor to the door. "Thank you so much for taking the message. As you can see, Cadoc has completely worn himself out. I never thought I'd say it, but I am glad it is winter so our farm doesn't take as much work!"

"Cadoc is a good man. I'd do anything for him, just as he'd do for me. Well, I'll be on my way now."

Quirna went back inside and gave Cadoc a long kiss. Perching on the edge of the bed, she laced her fingers with his and laid her forehead against his as she spoke. "I'm so glad you're staying. I was so worried you wouldn't even make it to the barn, and you know I could never get you back to bed. I wish you would quit worrying about your mission. Even if it did not go as planned, you will always be my hero." She tenderly laid her lips on his again. "Do you need any more food? Or just sleep, sweetheart?" Once again she checked his brow, worried that he might get sick, but he still felt normal.

Cadoc leaned back sighing and for the first time really in nine months he was at peace. "Just sleep," he murmured.

Quirna gently tucked him in and let him rest, sadness showing in her eyes. She hadn't seen Cadoc this incapacitated since he was injured back in the Hornburg. She fed Galad again and put him back in his cradle to sleep, then sat and mended some clothing she'd needed to fix for a while. Lunch came and went, still Cadoc slept on. His wife curled up beside him for a short nap that afternoon, and Hlísa wiggled her way beside them. Being a daddy's girl, she'd missed him terribly, almost as much as Quirna herself.

Sleep mended the Ranger's body slowly. That afternoon he declared himself better and with Hlísa checked on Silver, who had recovered faster than his master. He spent the evening playing with his children as Quirna fixed supper.

"Are you feeling better, sweetheart?" she thought he looked like he was on the mend and enjoyed seeing their daughter so happy.

"Yes, dearest," Cadoc laughed as Hlísa ran circles around them while Quirna looked on, smiling.

Quirna soon called them to supper and the happy family gathered to eat.

Hlísa ate while sitting on Cadoc's lap. Once the meal was over, the food put away, and dishes washed, Quirna fed Galad one last time. Then she and Cadoc cuddled in bed together. She kissed him soundly, and Hlísa jumped in between them. Soon the happy family fell asleep, feeling more secure and peaceful. The nine months the Ranger had been gone were quickly forgotten as they got used to being a family once again.


	18. Chapter 18

**Epilogue**

It was five nights later when Aragorn finished the story. He had never been told much about his mother's side of the family so his mother's book captivated him. He opened another letter that was tucked in the final page of the last chapter.

_Dear son,_

_Cadoc, Quirna, Hlísa, and Galad lived happily for several years. Another child, Gwyneth, was added to the happy family. Though Cadoc continued to be called away on missions, Quirna learned to be at peace and she waited patiently for him. Hlísa grew up to marry a fine young ranger and Gwyneth became known for her excellent storytelling. "What about Galad?" you ask. Well, you will have to see what happens to him in the next tale._

Aragorn folded the letter and tucked it away. The night was old and he needed to sleep but he curiously turned the next page.

Winning Love

* * *

_**Author's note: I, and my coauthor, look forward to bringing you the second installment on our miniseries here. It was a lot of fun to write and I will go ahead &amp; tell you Galad is just as awesome as his father and he also belongs to my coauthor. And my MC was insanely fun to write!  
**_

_**PLEASE, Please, please leave a review to let me know what you thought of this story! They seriously get better with each installment!**_


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